etersen s 
Fur Traders 
Lexicon 




THE FUR TRADERS and FUR BEARING ANIMALS 

By 
MARCUS PETERSEN 

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PETERSEN'S FUR TRADERS LEXICON 

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Petersen's 
Fur Traders Lexicon 



MARCUS PETERSEN 

Author of 

"The Fur Traders and Fur Bearing Animals' 

"The Weasel Family" 

"Seals, Their Products, Habits and Habitat." 

"What Is What In Furs," etc. 



Published by 

PETERSEN & CHANDLESS 

6 Wesr 37th Street 

New York 






Copyright by 

MARCUS PETERSEN 

1920 



JUL -8 1920 z 



PREFATORY 




HIS LEXICON contains many of the 
local and trade designations as well as the 
proper English and some of the Foreign 
names of the animals mentioned, and gives 
the habitat and range of each species. 

A number of the animals named are not fur pro- 
ducers, and are only referred to here because of their 
scientific interest, their relationship to some fur-bearing 
animal, or the commercial value of the wool, horns and 
leather obtained from them. 

No attempt has been made to estimate the annual 
production of the species whose skins are only used by 
the furriers in limited quantities, but carefully prepared 
figures are given to convey an approximate idea of the 
number of skins marketed each year of the more im- 
portant animals. 

In the pages following the lexicon will be found 
comprehensive information regarding the protection and 
propagation of fur bearing animals, the dressing, dyeing 
and improving of skins, the relative durability of various 
furs, and a comparison of the present prices with those 
ruling at other times. 



AARD WOLF. A member of the Hyaena Family, that 
is sometimes improperly called the Hyaena by furriers. 
The annual catch is about 5000. 

AFFE. German for all monkeys. 

AFGHAN FISHER. The Indian Marten. 

AGNEAU. French for Lamb. 

AGNALLI, Spanish for Lamb. 

AGOUARA. The Crab Eating Raccoon 

AGOUTI. A small South American animal that is often 
called a rabbit, but it is more like the prairie dog in its 
nature and habits, and the character of its short bristly 
hair covering. 

AL (See Sloth). 

ALASKA MARTEN. (See Sables). 

ALASKA SABLE. A trade name for Skunk. 

ALASKA Seal. (See Seals). 

ALCE. Spanish for Moose. 

ALMIZCLERA. Spanish for Muskrat. 

ALPACA. This member of the Camel Family is still 
found in its native state in the Andes Mountains, but it 
has been domesticated in some parts of Chili and Peru. 
Like the Llama, to which it is closely allied, this animal 
is chiefly valued commercially for its wool. 

AMERICAN LEOPARD. (See Ocelot). 

AMERICAN LION. (See Puma) 

AMERICAN LYNX. (See Canada Lynx). 

AMERICAN PANTHER. (Applied to both Puma and 
Jaguar). 

AMERICAN POTTO. (See Kinkajou). 

AMERICAN TIGER. (See Puma). 

AMERICAN WILDCAT. (See Cat Lynx). 

ANGORA OR SYRIAN GOAT. This is one of the oldest 
known representatives of the Goat Family. It has long, 
silky, white hair, and is larger than any of the common 
goats. The present annual production is about 5000 
skins. 

ANTA. Spanish for Elk. 

ANTELOPE. This animal is confined to Asia and Africa, 
with the exception of two species — the North American 
Prong Horn, and the European Chamois. 

APEREA. A Brazilian Hare or Rabbit. 



APES. The Man-Like Monkeys. (See Chimpanzee, Gib- 
bon, Gorilla, and Orang-Outang). 

ARABI. Name given by the Tartars to any sheep pro- 
ducing valuable fur-bearing lambs. 

ARDILLA, Spanish for Squirrel. 

ARGALI. A Wild Sheep of Mongolia, that is credited 
with being the original stock of many species of do- 
mestic sheep. 

ARMINO. Spanish for Stoat or Ermine. 

ASSE. (See Fox-Egyptian.) 

ASTRAKAN. French for Persian Lamb. 

ASTRACHAN. (See Lamb-Astrachan). 

ASTRACHAIN. Spanish for Astrachan. 

ASTRACHAIN DE PERSIA. Spanish for Persian 
Lamb. 

AUROCHS. A species of European Ox now extinct. It 
is said to have been the progenitor of some of the ex- 
isting species of domestic cattle. 

AUSTRALIAN BADGER. (See Wombat). 

AUSTRALIAN BEAR. (See Kaola.) 

AUSTRALIAN OPOSSUM. (See Phalanger- Vulpine.) 

AUSTRALIAN RABBIT. The progeny of the Rabbits 
introduced into the colony many years ago from Eng- 
land. They have multiplied so rapidly that they have 
become a pest, and millions upon millions are killed 
annually for their skins, which have become an im- 
portant article of commerce. (See Rabbits). 

AUSTRALIAN NATIVE CATS. (See Dasyure.) 

AXIS. A beautiful, white spotted East Indian Deer. 

AYE AYE. A small, squirrel-like, arborial ally of the 
Lemurs. It is confined to Madagascar, where the na- 
tives regard it with superstitious fear. 

AZARA'S ACHUCHI. (See Agouti.) 

AZARA'S DOG. (See Fox-Pampas.) 

BABOON. The Dog-faced Monkey which is the con- 
necting link between the apes and the true monkeys. 

BABOUINE. French for Baboon. 

BACKENHORNCHEN. German for Gopher. 

BADGER. This animal was formerly placed with the 
bears, but is now generally conceded to belong to the 
Weasel Family. The most abundant species is the 
Common Badger of Europe, but the best skins for fur 

6 



purposes are those of the American Badger of the 
prairie lands of the United States and Canada, called 
Mishtumisk by the Indians. The Japanese Badger, 
called Mami by the natives, is also used by the furriers, 
but the skins of the European and Asiatic Badgers are 
principally bought by the brush makers. About 30,000 
of the badger skins used annually, come from North 
America; 100,000, from Europe; and 30,000, from Asia. 
The Ferret Badgers of India and Africa, the Sand Badg- 
er of Asia, the Honey Badger or Ratel, and the Malayan 
Badger or Tcladu are all of interest to scientists, but 
have little commercial value. 

BADGER SKUNK. The large striped skunk of South 
America. Called Conepati by the Mexicans. 

BAGDAD OTTER. German for Asiatic Otter. 

\ BALTIC SEAL. Nutria, plucked and dyed seal brown. 

BANDICOOT OR PAREMELES. An Australian 
pouched mammal whose skins are called "Dalgelty" by 
the furriers. Some claim it is a small species of Kan- 
garoo. 

BAN KAOS. Chinese Moufflon skins. (See Goats). 

BAR. German for Bear. 

BARENBEUTLER. German for Kaola.. 

BASARIUS. French for Bassarisk. 

BASSARISK. The range of this representative of the 
Raccoon Family extends from Oregon, through Calif- 
ornia, New Mexico, Arizona, Texas and other south 
western states into Mexico, where it is known as the 
Cacomistle. In California it is called the Mountain Cat, 
in Texas the Cat Squirrel, in Arkansas the Raccoon 
Fox. By the Germans it is known as the Katzenfrett, 
and in France it is called Basarius. It is sometimes 
spoken of as the Ring tail because of the alternate black 
and white rings on the bushy tail. The dense soft body 
fur is light brown in its natural state, but when dyed it 
makes a fine substitute for mink. The annual produc- 
tion of Basarius Mink is about 30,000 skins. 

BASTARD CHINCHILLA. (See Chinchilla). 

BAUMMARDER. German for Pine Marten. 

BAY LYNX. Canadian Cat Lynx. 

BEAR. Because of certain structural peculiarities scien- 
tists have placed the bears in a separate family with a 
comparatively small number of species. The annual 

7 



production of the different varieties is estimated to be as 
follows: Black Bears, North America 20,000 Asia 1.000; 
Brov/n Bears, Asia 7,000, Europe 2,000; Cinnamon 
Bears, North America 2,000; Grizzly Bears, North 
America 1200; Polar or White Bears, Europe and Asia 
600, North America 400. The Grizzly is the laigest, 
fiercest and strongest representative of the Bear Family, 
and the Black Sun Bear, of the Malayan Peninsular, is 
the smallest. The Syrian Bear of Asia Minor is the 
largest variety of Brown Bear. The Sloth Bear of 
India, and the Spectacled Bear of South America, while 
of no commercial value, are striking examples of some 
of the strange species to be found among the bears. 

BEAR MOUSE. (See Marmot). 

BEAVER. This is the most interesting of all fur bearing 
animals. At one time the beaver skin was the standard 
of value among fur traders, and there were millions of 
these animals to be found where there are thousands 
today. They still exist in considerable numbers on the 
North American continent, and are also occasionally 
seen along the banks of the Rhone, Weser, Danube, and 
other rivers in Europe and Asia. The present annual pro- 
duction is probably about 80,000 skins from North Amer- 
ica, and 1,000 from Asia. The few skins received from 
Europe are hardly worth mentioning. The most valu- 
able skins are the dark reddish brown specimens, from 
the York Fort and Moose river districts in the Hud- 
son's Bay country. Fine dark heavy furred skins are 
also received from Labrador, Nova Scotia, and other 
parts of Canada as well as from the north eastern 
section of the United States. The Rocky Mountain 
skins are poorly furred and are light in color. 

BEAVER RAT. The Golden Belly Rat of Australia. 
BEDLAMITE. Two-year-old Greenland Seal. 
BELETTE. French for Weasel. 
BELGIAN CONY. (See Cony.) 
BELLICHMAUS. German for Golden Rat. 
BERBE. A French name for Genet Furs. 
BEUTELBAR. German for Wombat. 
BEUTELDACHS. German for Bandicoot. 
BEUTELMARDER. German for Australian Native Cats. 
BEUTELRATTE. German for Kangaroo Rat. 
BEUTELWOLF. German for Tasmanian Wolf. 
BIBER. German for Beaver. 



BILCH. German for Dormouse. 

BINTURONG. An aboreal civet-like carnivore of Cen- 
tral Asia. It has a prehensile tail, tufted ears and long 
coarse fur. 

BISAM. German for Muskrat. 

BISAMSTIER. German for Musk Ox. 

BISON. There is a marked difiference in the appearance 
of the European species of this branch of the Ox 
Famil3% and the American Bison, which is improperly 
called "Buffalo"; a name that belongs to an entirely 
diflferent animal found only in Asia and Africa. All 
that is left to represent the 5,000,000 American Bisons 
that roamed the western plains in 1870, are a few 
small captive herds in various parts of the United States 
and Canada. The European Bison too has been virtu- 
ally exterminated, only seven hundred running wild on 
the northern slope of the Caucasian mountains, and an 
equal number under the protection of Russian game 
wardens in the forests of Bielowitza, remain of the vast 
herds that formerly ranged over a large part of the con- 
tinent of Europe. A "Buffalo" skin that could have been 
bought for seven dollars in 1870 would bring a thousand 
dollars or more if it were ofifered for sale today. 

BISONTI. Spanish for Bison. 

BITCH. Female of any species of Canine Family. 

BLACK MARTEN. A name at one time given to the 
Skunk. 

BLAIREAU. French for Badger. 

BOAR. Wild Hog. 

BOBAC. (See Marmot.) 

BOB CAT, A western name for American Cat Lynx. 

BOOMER. The Giant Kangaroo. 

BOUC. French for Deer. 

BOUEF. French for Ox. 

BOUGUETIN. French for Ibex. 

BREITSCHWANZ. A name given by the Leipzig deal- 
ers to the skins of the still born Bokhara, or Persian 
Lambs. 

BROADTAIL. A flat variety of Persian or Bokhara 
Lamb Skins. 

BROCK. An old English name for the European Badger. 

BROOK MINK, A trade name for natural Muskrat Furs. 

BROWN MARTEN. (Hudson's Bay Sable.) 

9 



BRUMBIE. Australian Bush Pony. 
BUCK. Male Fallow Deer. 
BUEY. Spanish for Ox. 

BUEY MOSCHIATL Spanish for Musk Ox. 
BUFFALO. _ A Wild Ox found only in Asia and Africa. 
The American Bison is improperly called Buflfalo. 

BUFEL. German for Bison. 

BURUN DUCHY. Trade name for the Siberian Chip- 
munk. This species can be distinguished from the 
Common Chipmunk of North America, by the four light 
colored and five black stripes on its back. The Ameri- 
can variety has one black stripe running down the 
center of the back and a white stripe edged with black 
on each side. 

BUSH CATS. A name sometimes given to the Bassa- 
rik and Chinese Civet, but which is used in a general 
way to designate various species of Asiatic, Australian 
and African cats whose habitat is in the bush country. 

CAAMA. (See Fox-Egyptian.) 

CABRA. Spanish for Goat. 

CACOMISTLE. Mexican name for Bassarisk. 

CAIRE-BOEUF. French-Canadian for Cariboo. 

CALABAR. An old trade name for the Squirrel, and the 
fur of another small grey animal formerly found in 
Calabria. 

CALF. Young of either sex of any Bovine species. 

CALLITRIX. The Green Monkey of St. lago. 

CAMEL. The Camel seems to be only animal that has 
gone through the centuries without any change in form 
or habits. Camels have rightly been called the "ships 
of the desert," for many parts of the Orient would be 
uninhabitable without the single-humped Arabian Drom- 
edary, and the Bacterian Camel with its two humps, to 
convey passengers and supplies across the barren wastes 
and burning sands of the desert country. 

CAMELLO. Spanish for Camel. 

CAMELOPARD. The Giraflfe. 

CANADA LYNX. An American True Lynx. 

CANI. Spanish for Dog. 

CAPE LAMB. African Slink Lamb. 

CAPE SKUNK. (See Zorilla.) 

CAPRE. Spanish for Goat. 

10 



CARACAL. A Red Lynx found in Persia. It is said to 
have been the True Lynx of the ancients, and the 
species from which the saying "lynx-eyed" originated. 

CARACUL. French for flat Astrachan. 

CARACULL Spanish for flat Astrachan. 

CARIBOO. This animal is also known as the North 
American Reindeer. The name Cariboo is a contrac- 
tion or corruption of "Caire-boeuf," or square ox, the 
name given to this animal by the French Canadians in 
the higher latitudes of North America. 

CARNERO. Spanish for Sheep. 

CASTOR. French and Spanish for Beaver. 

CATAMOUNTAIN. (See Ocelot.) 

CATAMOUNT. (See Puma.) 

CAT BEAR. (See Panda.) 

CAT COMMON. Nova Scotia Cat Lynx. 

CAT LYNX. This animal shows considerable variation 
in size, color and pelage, in the different localities of its 
habitat; but it can always be distinguished from the 
True Lynx by its inferior size, shorter fur and bushy 
tail, although the Cat Common of Nova Scotia, the 
Canadian Bay Lynx, and a few other varieties of this 
species, almost equal the True Lynx in size and beauty 
of fur. 

CAT SQUIRREL. Texas name for Bassarisk. 

CATS. The different strongly individualized species of 
the Cat Family are listed separately as Caracal, 
Chause, Jaguar, Jaguarondi, Leopard, Lion, Lynx, Oce- 
lot, Ounce, Puma, Serval and Tiger. This heading is 
used to designate certain type species or groups of 
the family, variously known, because of peculiarities of 
disposition and coloration, and differences in their habits 
and the location of their habitats, as Bush Cats, Desert 
Cats, Domestic Cats, House Cats, Leopard Cats, Pam- 
pas Cats, Panther Cats, Tiger Cats and Wild Cats. The 
most important of these commercially, because of their 
numerical strength, are the Domestic Cats, which are 
graded by skin dealers both according to color and 
locality. Luxurious living has destroyed the value as 
fur producers of the House Cats, as the indoor varieties 
of the domesticated cats are called; but scientists claim 
that if these household pets were turned loose to shift 
for themselves in the open, they would soon revert back 
to the native state of their respective ancestors. In 

11 



grading Domestic Cats according to color, the black 
skins, sometimes called genet by the furriers, come first; 
those of the Grey Cyper, or Tabby Cat, come next; and 
the different colored or mottled skins come last. The 
best black skins come from Holland, but those from 
Holstein, Denmark, Switzerland and Bavaria, almost 
equal them in quality. The black skins from other parts 
of Europe are not nearly as fine. China supplies a fair 
grade of Red Cyper and other colored cat skins, but 
the Yellow Cyper skins received from Australia are of 
a very poor grade. North American cat skins are gen- 
erally large but of inferior quality. The English skins 
are small but good. The brown Siberian Cat has a fine, 
silky fur; and the reddish-grey African Caffre Cat, with 
its brown spots and transverse stripes, is an attractive 
animal. The Egyptian Cat is said by some to be the 
ancestor of a number of species of Domestic Cats, but 
the European Wild Cat, a much larger, stronger and 
more ferocious animal, is the progenitor of most of the 
different breeds of domestic and wild cats found in dif- 
ferent parts of the globe today. Among the species of 
domestic cats that have no commercial value as fur- 
producers, but are of interest because of their striking 
appearance or peculiar characteristics, are the silky- 
haired White Angora Cat, the tail-less Manx Cat, the 
stump-tailed Malayan Cat, the small grey Alolinas Cat 
of Africa, the Knotted-Tail Cat found on the island of 
Kurshim, Japan; and the African Mombas Cat, with its 
coat of stiff hairs instead of fur. 200,000, of the Domes- 
tic Cat skins used annually by the furriers, come from 
Holland; 170,000, from Germany; 300,000, from Russia; 
150,000 from the rest of Europe; 150,000, from China and 
Japan; and 80,000 from America. The most beautifully 
marked wild varieties are the Tiger Cats of Asia and 
Africa; and the Leopard Cats found in South America, 
Central America, Mexico, and in the United States south 
of the Rio Grande River. In Argentina, all the different 
varieties of these Ocelot-like creatures are called "ga- 
tos-monteses," and in Brazil they are known as "Jaguar- 
tiriga." The annual production of Leopard Cat skins is 
about 10,000; and of Tiger Cats, something like 15,000. 
The straw-colored, transverse-striped cats of the South 
American pampas, are known as Pampas Cats; just as 
some of the Asiatic and African wild cats are called 
Bush Cats, Desert Cats, and Steppe Cats, because of 
the location of their habitats. 

12 



CAVY. A genus of quadrupeds holding a middle place be- 
tween the rat and hare families. The name is some- 
times applied to the Agouti. 

CAYOPOLIN. An Opossum-like animal of Australia, 
somewhat larger than the Marmose, from which it also 
differs in color. 

CEBELLINA. Spanish for Sable. 

CEPHUS. (See Mona.) 

CERVI. Spanish for Deer. 

CHAMOIS. This member of the Antelope family makes 
its home in the Pyrenees and Swiss Alps, the Caucas- 
sian Mountains, and other mountain ranges of Southern 
Europe. It is valued commercially for its leather. 

CHARCAL. Spanish for Jackal. 

CHAT-CERVIER. French for Canada Cat Lynx. 

CHAT COMUN. French for Domestic Cat. 

CHAT SAUVAGE. French for Wild Cat. 

CHAUSE. This animal, known also as the Jungle Cat 
and the Swamp Lynx, is the connecting link which pre- 
vents the Lynxes from being classed in a separate fam- 
ily. It is the smallest and fiercest representative of the 
Lynx group of the Cat family and is found only in India 
and Africa. 

CHE-KIANGS. Chinese Mouflon skins. 

CHE HWAS TSE. The Kid of the Chinese Goat. 

CHEVRE. French for Deer. 

CHEVROTIN. This animal, known in India as the 
Guinea Deer, is the smallest and most beautiful of all 
cloven-footed quadrupeds. 

CHICKAREE. The North American Red Squirrel. 

CHIEN. French for Dog. 

CHINESE BADGER. (See Raccoon Dog.) 

CHINESE DOG. (See Dog.) 

CHINESE GOAT. (See Goats.) 

CHINESE LYNX. Trade name for Chinese Goat Furs. 

CHINESE MARTENS. (See Martens.) 

CHINESE MINK. The Shantung and other Yellow 
Chinese Weasels. (Sec Minks.) 

CHINESE MOUFLON. (See Mouflon.) 

CHINESE RACCOON. (See Panda.) 

13 



CHINESE SABLE. (See Sables.) 

CHINESE SHEEP. (See Lamb-China.) 

CHINESE STONE MARTEN. (See Pahmi.) 

CHINESE WEASEL. (See Chinese Alink.) 

CHINESE WOLF. Trade name for Chinese Dog Furs. 

CHINOLA. A fine imitation of Chinchilla, produced by- 
shearing and blending squirrel skins. 

CHIMPANZEE. The species of Ape approximating the 
nearest to man in intelligence and susceptibility to train- 
ing. Its home is in West Africa, and the height of the 
full-grown male is about four feet. 

CHINCHILLA This animal resembles the rabbit in its 
habits and the peculiar shape of its large head, but be- 
cause of certain other peculiarities it is considered by 
scientists as belonging to a separate family of the 
Rodentia. The habitat of the type species is restricted 
to Argentina, Bolivia, Chili and Peru. The finest repre- 
sentatives of this species, known as Real Arica Chinchil- 
las, are found on the plateaus of the Andes Mountains 
in nothern Chili and southern Peru. The Real Chinchil- 
las in Boliva, and other parts of Chili and Peru, are 
smaller and not quite as fine furred as those in the 
Tacna and Arica districts. The so called Bastard Chin- 
chillas, of the La Plata valley in Chili and Argentina, 
are much smaller animals than any of the varieties of 
Real Chinchillas, and their dense, soft, silky, bluish grey 
fur is much shorter. The Chinchillona is a much larger 
animal than the largest of the Real Chinchillas, but its 
long scraggly fur is coarser, and has a yellowish tinge 
instead of the beautiful clear blue grey color that is 
characteristic of the type species of the Chinchilla 
family. The Viscacha is more than twice the size of 
the Chinchillona, and bears the same relation to the 
Chinchilla family that the marmot does to the squirrels. 
Its fur is of little value and the skins are seldom seen 
in the fur markets of the world. The supply of Chin- 
chillas is very limited at present, and the prices asked 
for the different varieties are almost prohibitive. 

CHINCHILLONA. (See Chinchilla.) 

CHIOTTONL Spanish for Wolverine. 

CHIPMUNK. The Rock Squirrel, which is the connecting 
link between the True or Tree Squirrels and the Ground 
Squirrels or spermophiles. The Siberian Chipmunk has 

14 



been described under its trade name "Burun Duchy," 
but like the American species, of which the Common 
Chipmunk is the best known variety, it is of little im- 
portance as a fur producer, although at present it is 
meeting with some favor. 

CHITAH or CHEETAH. The Hunting Leopard. 

CHITWAH or WAH. (See Panda.) 

CHOROK. (See Kolinsky.) 

CHOV/ CHINGS. Finest Thibet Lamb skins. 

CHOW WONK. The Chow Dog of China. 

CITELO. Spanish for Suslik. 

CIVET. Several species of this animal are valued com- 
mercially for the musky substance obtained from them, 
which perfumers use as the base for their floral extracts. 
Some varieties commonly called Bush Cats, are found 
in China and on the west coast of Africa. It is these 
skins that are used by the furriers. 

CIVET CAT. It is hard to understand why this name 
should be given to the Lesser Skunk, a North American 
animal belonging to the Weasel family and properly 
classed by scientists as the Little Striped Skunk. 

COATI or COATIMUNDL The Spanish .call all Rac- 
coons Coati, but this name properly belongs only to a 
peculiar representative of the Raccoon family that has a 
uniform colored body and ringed tail. There are two 
distinct species of this animal, the Red or Brazilian 
Coati whose habitat extends through the greater part of 
South America, and the Brown Mexican Coati that is 
found on the Isthmus of Panama, and in the warmer 
parts of Mexico. The Germans call the Coati, Nasenbar 
or Nose Bear because of the length of its nose. Its 
skins are just beginning to find their way into the fur 
markets of the world. 

COAITI. A variety of Sapajou Monkey. 

COLOBUS. The African Black Monkey of Commerce. 

COLLINSKL Spanish for Kolinski. 

COLT. Young Horse of either sex. 

COMEDREGA. Spanish for Weasel. 

COMMON LYNX. The European True Lynx. 

15 



COMMON SQUIRREL. The European Grey Squirrel. 
CONEPATI. South American Skunk. 

CONY. The original of all wild and domestic rabbits 
existing in the world today is the European Rabbit or 
Cony, which is the greatest fur producer of the Hare 
family. As tame rabbits are larger in size, finer furred 
and have heavier pelts than the wild varieties, the propa- 
gation of the Cony in warrens and hutches is an im- 
portant industry in France, Belgium, and some parts of 
Germany. The finer white and silver-grey skins of these 
animals are worked up by the furriers in their natural 
state, but many millions are either dyed in the hair, or 
converted into Near Seals, Molines, and Electric Conies, 
by having the top hair removed before they are dyed 
the desired color. Near Seals, arc assorted bj^ the 

^ French dyers according to size, as X, XX and XXX; 
and bundled in dozens, and sold in "sets" of four dozen 
each made up of one dozen X, two dozen XX and one 
dozen XXX skins. Before being assorted to size, the 
skins are graded for quality, as "firsts," "seconds" and 
"thirds." An original case contains twenty-five sets, or 
one hundred dozen skins. The Belgian Near Seals are 
not as fine quality, grade for grade, as the French; and 
the size assortment is, XX, XXX and XXXX. In nor- 
mal times,, the annual production is about as follov/s: 
France, 30,000,000 skins; Belgium, 20,000,000; Germany, 
500.000; and Russia, 1,000,000. The skins of the Austra- 
lian Rabbit are called Kit Conies in their natural state, 
and Mole, Nutria, Beaver, and Seal Conies or Sealines 
when they have been dyed. 

CONIGLI or CONEJO. Spanish for Cony or Rabbit. 

COQUELLIN. The Brazilian Squirrel. 

CORDERO. Spanish for Lamb. 

COTTONTAIL. The little American Hare or Grey 
Rabbit, which approximates the closest to the European 
Rabbit. 

COUGAR. (See Puma.) 

COW. Grown female of any species of Bovine family. 

COYOTE. (See Prairie Wolf.) 

COYPU. Spanish for Nutria. 

CRICETUS. (See Hamster.) 

16 



GRIMMER or KRIMMER. (See Lamb-Crimea.) 

CUB. Young of certain quadrupeds like bear, fox or dog. 

CUMARAN. A South American Pony. 

CYPER CAT. The Tabby Cat. 

DACHS. German for Badger. 

DALGELTY. Trade name for Bandicoot skins. 

DAIM. French for Deer. 

DAM. Female parent animal of certain quadrupeds. 

DANADA. The Pin Head Persian. 

DASYURE. This animal, though often called the Native 
Cat, and the Australian Spotted Cat, by the natives 
of its habitat, is not a cat, but the type species of a 
separate family of the Carnivores, that in Aus.tralia take 
the place of the cats, mustelines and civets. The Das- 
yuridae family is rich in genera and species, ranging 
from the mouse-like insect eaters to the fierce carni- 
vorous Tasmanian Wolf and Devil. The Dasyure, vv-hich 
seems to be the only member of the family of any im- 
portance as a fur producer, is a civet-like animal, about 
the size of a cat, with clearly defined white spots show- 
ing upon the bro\vnish-yello\v ground color of the rich 
dense fur. The present annual production is small, but 
the demand for this fur is increasing. 

DEER. There are many species of Deer in different parts 
of the world, but strictly speaking none of them are 
fur bearing animals. They are of commercial import- 
ance only because of the food with which they supply 
mankind, and the value of their horns and hides. 

DEER TIGER. (See Puma). 

DESERT CAT. (See Cats.) 

DESMAN. This member of the Rat Family, which is 
also known as the Russian Muskrat is sometimes called 
the Musk Shrew, although it approaches nearer to the 
mole in appearance than it does to either the Muskrat 
or the Shrews. It has a soft, short, dense underfur, 
which is purplish brown on top, and white on the belly. 
The skins are used to some extent for glove tops, and 
other trimming purposes. The type species is confined 
to Asia and south eastern Europe, but another variety, 
called Pilori, is found in the West Indies. 

DIANA MONKEY. The Grey Monkey of West Africa. 

17 



DINGO. An Australian Wild Dog. 
DOE. Matured female of the Fallow Deer. 
DOGS. There is no trace of the dog in a primitive state, 
and it is hard to determine if it is descended from the 
wolf or the jackal. In fact, most scientists claim that 
the dog is not descended from any one ancestor, but 
from various local vi^ild species whose characteristic 
traits are reproduced in their respective progeny. The 
proper classification of Domestic Dogs is difficult; but 
Col. Hamilton Smith groups them into six divisions; 
placing the Wolf Dogs, like the Siberian, Eskimo, St. 
Bernard and Sheep Dog, in the first division; and 
the Watch and Cattle Dogs, like the German Boar 
Dog and Great Dane, in the second division. The Irish 
Hound, Lurcher, Egyptian Street Dog, and other Grey- 
hounds, make up the third division. In the fourth divi- 
sion, with the Hounds, Col. Smith includes the Blood 
Hound, Fox Hound, Harrier, Beagle, Pointer, Setter, 
Spaniel, Cocker, Blenheim and Poodle. The fifth divi- 
sion is given over to the Terriers and other breeds of 
Curs; and in the sixth division are the Mastiff, Bull, Pug, 
and a few other equally prominent varieties. None of 
these domestic species, nor any of the wild dogs found 
in different parts of the world can be considered as fur 
producers. For fur-bearing dogs we have to look to the 
domesticated species from China .Russia and Siberia; 
and as nearly all the Russian and Siberian skins are con- 
sumed at home, Europe and America really depend upon 
China to supply the 200,000 dog skins they use annually. 
Of the Chinese skins the Manchurian, or "Newchwang 
Dogskins" are the best. Next in quality are the skins 
of the "Chow Wonk" or "Chowdog" of southern China, 
the finest of which, known as "Hsinchee" skins, are al- 
most as fine furred as the Newchang dogskins, but a 
trifle smaller. The second grade of Chow Dogs are 
classed as "Tientsin" skins by the dealers, and a still 
poorer grade are known as "Hankows." The Mongolian 
Dog, of the northwestern provinces of China, has a 
dense, soft, glossy, black fur, but up to the present 
time comparatively few skins of this variety have been 
exported; but the short haired skins of the Common 
Chinese Dog, known as the Dorfkoter by the Germans, 
have become an important factor commercially. The 
general color of the Chow Dog is a yellowish-red. The 
prevailing color of the Manchurian skins is black, but a 
considerable number of them are grey or yellow. They 

18 



are exported in the shape of one skin "dog mats," 
two skin "dog rugs" and four skin "dog robes." 

DOMESTIC CATS. (See Cats). 

DOOZBAR. One of the ancestors of the producers of 
the Persian Lamb. 

DORMOUSE. The advance in the price of mole skins 
will create a demand for the fur of this animal which 
is abundant in all parts of Central Europe except Central 
Germany, where it is comparatively rare. Some species 
are also found in Asia and Africa. There are three va- 
rieties, the largest, about the size of the rat, being called 
Loir by the French; the medium sized variety, the size 
of a mole, is known as the Lerot; and the smallest, 
which is no larger than a mouse, is called Muscardin. 

DOUC. A Monkey of Cochin, China, that is as large as a 
baboon, has a face like an ape, and resembles the 
American monkeys in that it has no callosities on iti 
posteriors. 

DUCK BILL. (See Platybus). 

ECHIDINAE. An egg laying mammal of Australia. It 
is not a fur bearing animal, and is generally known as 
the Australian Porcupine. 

ECURIAL. French for Squirrel. 

ECURIAL DE TERRE. French for Chipmunk. 

EDELMARDER. German for Bauni Marten. 

EISBAR. German for Polar Bear. 

ELAN. Spanish for Elk. 

ELANTIER. German for Elk. 

ELCH. German for Elk. 

ELECTRIC SEAL. A variety of near seal. 

ELEPHANT SEAL. Largest of all True Seals. 

ELK. The Moose of the old world, found only in the far 
northern parts of Europe and Asia. 

ENTELLUS. The Blue Monkey of the Himalayan 
Mountains. Highly valued for its fine silky coat. 

ERDHORNCHEN. German for Spermophile. 

ERDMARDER. A German name for Kolinsky. 

ERDWOLF. German for Aard Wolf. 

ERMALINE. White coney sheared to initiate Ermine. 

19 



ERMILLINI. Spanish for Ermine. 

ERMINE. Seven hundred thousand of the Ermine skins 
sold annually come from Asia; four hundred thousand 
from North America; and ten thousand from Europe. 
The Ermine is also called the Stoat or Greater Weasel 
in some sections of its habitat. Like the Common 
Weasel, which in its winter dress is often sold as Er- 
mine, its range spreads over a large portion of the 
globe. The finest varieties are found in Siberia, British 
America, and Alaska. The whitest skins come from 
Ishim in western Siberia, but the Babinsky skins are the 
largest and most valuable. The skins from the Tomsk 
district have extra fine full furred tails that are black 
half their length, while those from Lensk have only 
small black points on the tails. The Ermines from the 
neighborhood of Jakutsk, and Yeniseisk, are clear white, 
but smaller and shorter furred than the other varieties 
mentioned. In the higher latitudes of its habitat the 
Ermine is invariably white, but in warmer climates its 
color changes with the seasons. 

EWE. Female of sheep kind. 

EYRA. CAT. (See Jaguarondi). 

FAON. Spanish for Calf. 

FASCALOMI. Spanish for Wombat. 

FEH. German for Squirrel. 

FENNEC. (See Fox-Fenec.) 

FERRET. This animal was originally restricted to Spain 
and Barbary, but now this type representative of the 
Weasel Family is being bred in all parts of the world 
for rabbit and rat catching purposes. 

FEURMARDER. German for Kolinsky. 

FIELD KANGAROOS. (See Wallaby). 

FIFU. Chinese for Flying Squirrel. 

FILLY. A young mare. 

FISHER. This is the largest representative of the mar- 
ten group of the Weasel Family. It is called Pekan by 
the French, Virginischer litis by the Germans, and in 
England is known as Penant's Marten and Fisher Mar- 
ten. Its habitat is restricted to the American conti- 
nent. The fur of the Fisher is as durable as it is hand- 
some, and there is always a ready market for the ten 
thousand skins taken annually. 

20 



FITCH. (See Polecat). 

FLORIDA MINK. Marmot skins dyed, and striped to 
imitate Mink. 

FLYING SQUIRREL. There are eight or more species 
of this branch of the Squirrel Familj^ in different parts 
of the North America, Asia, Africa, Japan and the 
Malayan Islands; but the skins used b}^ the furriers 
are those of the Japanese variety, which are larger, and 
have longer fur than the others. 

FOAL. The young of either sex of Equine animals. 

FOAL LEOPARD. Pony skins dyed, and spotted to imi- 
tate the Leopard. 

FOCA. Spanish for Seals. 

FOCHE. French for Seals. 

FOHLEN. German for Ponies. 

FORESTER. The Giant Kangaroo. 

FOSSA or FOSSANE. A commercially unimportant 
member of the Genet family whose habitat is restricted 
to the island of Madagasca. 

FOUINE. Spanish for Stone Marten. 

FOXES. There are more recognized varieties of the Fox 
than of any other fur-bearing animal, but they all be- 
long to one or the other of the following eight distinct 
species: Arctic or Blue, Black or Silver, Cross, Grey 
or Virginian, Kit, Pampas, Polar or White, and Red. 
The most important local and color varieties of the 
several species, are listed separately here under the 
forty different names by which they are distinguished 
by the skin dealers. 

FOX— AFGHAN. (Sec Corsac Fox). 

FOX— AFRICA.N. A variety of Red fox found in Mo- 
rocco, Algiers and other parts of Northern Africa. 

FOX — ALASKA. Largest and finest variety of North 
American Red Fox. 

FOX— ARABIAN. African Kit Fox. 

FOX — ARCTIC OR BLUE. A type species found in the 
lower Artie regions, ar.d as far south as Labrador and 
Alaska on the Western Hemisphere. North America 
produces 6,000 skins annually: Asia, 1,000; and Europe, 
4,000. 

21 



FOX— BENGAL. A small Asiatic Red Fox found in 
India. 

FOX— BLACK OR SILVER. Found only in high north- 
ern latitudes; the finest specimens coming from Alaska, 
Labrador, New Brunswick and the Hudson's Bay coun- 
try. The annual production is 6,000 skins, from North 
America, and 1,000, from Asia. Only one skin in three 
hundred is full black, the rest being more or less sil- 
vered. Silver foxes are being successfully raised in 
captivity on Prince Edward Island, Canada; and in 
Maine and other sections of the United States. It is 
now claimed that the skins of ranch raised animals are 
superior to those of the wild foxes, owing to scientific 
feeding and the care that is taken in selecting animals 
for breeding. Fox breeding began on Prince Edwards 
Island in 1892. At the present time there are several 
thousand pairs of breeding animals on the island and 
the annual output is steadily increasing. The industry 
is extending to the United States, Norway, Japan and 
other countries. 

FOX— BLUE-WHITE.— The White Fox in the lower 
latitudes of its range, where it changes its color with 
the seasons. Known also as the Isatis. 

FOX— BRAZILIAN. The Pampas Fox of the Brazilian 
and Argentina plains or pampas. 

FOX— CANCRIVOROUS. A crab-eating Fox, of the 
northern part of South America. It is fully as large 
as the common red fox, but has the yellowish grey color 
which is characteristic of all South American Foxes. 

FOX — CAPE. A South African species about the size of 
the Corsac Fox, which it very much resembles. 

FOX— COAST. A small grey Fox found on the Pacific 
coast of North and Central America, from California to 
Honduras and Costa Rica. 

FOX — COMMON... This species, also known as the Land 
Fox, and called Reinecke by the Germans, is the type 
Red Fox of England and Central Europe. It is smaller, 
and not as full furred as the North American Red Fox- 
es, and the color is paler. 

FOX— CORSAC. The type Kit Fox of Asia; also known 
as the Afghan, Hill, Stone and Steppe Fox. The annual 
production is about 60,000. 

22 



FOX — CROSS. In Asia, this handsome Fox is found 
in Siberia, Kamchatka, Manchuria and Northern China; 
and in North America, its range extends as far south 

as Northern New York, South Dakota and California, 
The annual production is estimated at 5,000 skins, from 
Asia ,and 15,000, from North America. The finest Cross 
Foxes come from Labrador. 

FOX— EAST INDIA DESERT. This is very small 
animal, lighter in color and poorer in quality than the 
Corsac Fox. 

FOX— EGYPTIAN. A small light colored fox of the 

Kit species, found in Egypt, Abyssinia and Northern 
Africa. This animal is known locally as the Asse or 
Caama. 

FOX— FENEC. The African Desert Fox. It is the 

smallest of all foxes, and is often called the Kit Fox of 
Africa. 

FOX— GREY. This is a type found only in the United 
States. Annual production 50,000. 

FOX— HILL. (See Corsac Fox). 

FOX — ITALIAN. A small brownish red variety of the 
European Land Fox. 

FOX— JAP. (See Raccoon Dog.) 

FOX— JAPANESE. A Red Fox which resembles the 
North American more than it does the European type 
of that species. It is confined to the island of Yesso. 

FOX — KADIAC. This name properly belongs to the 
large, coarse haired Cross Foxes, of the Aleutian Isl- 
ands; but the large, light colored Red Foxes from that 
district are also called Kadiac Foxes. 

FOX— KAMCHATKA. The finest Asiatic Red Fox skins, 
which come from Kamchatka and the island of Sachalin, 
are both classed under this name. The annual produc- 
tion is about 2,000. 

FOX— KARGAN. A small yellowish Grey Fox, found 
in Southwestern Siberia and on the steppes of Central 
Asia. The annual production is about 150,000, but most 
of the skins are used locally. 

FOX — KASAN. A medium-sized dark Red Fox, found 
principally in the Russian Province from which it takes 
its name. 

23 



FOX — KIT. A small, soft furred Fox, of which the type 
species is found in North America. Dififerent varieties 
of this animal are also seen in Asia, Africa and South 
America. The annual production in America, is 40,000, 
and in Asia, 60,000. 

FOX— MANCHURIAN. A Chinese Red Fox of fine 
qualit}^ 

FOX— KITZENU. A peculiar Japanese Fox, with red 
ground fur and yellowish top hair. About 30,000 skins 
of this variety are marketed annually. 

FOX— KORSAK. (German for Corsac Fox). 

FOX— LABRADOR. A name given to the fine variety of 
Red Foxes from that part of Canada. 

FOX— NORTHERN. The beautiful Red Foxes of Nor- 
way, and other far northern sections of Europe, are 
distinguished from the Common or Land Fox by this 
name. 

FOX— PAMPAS. This animal, also known as Azara's 
Dog, and sometimes called the Argentine Jackal, is in 
reality a small distinctive variety of fox, resembling the 
Kit species more than it dees the Red type. Its range 
extends from Brazil and the Argentine Republic to 
Cape Horn. It has a soft yellowish fur with black 
marks, and in the northern part of its habitat is known 
as the Brazilian Fox. The annual production is about 
20,000. 

FOX— PATAGONIA. This animal resembles the Pam- 
pas Fox, but is somewhat larger, and has softer, finer 
fur. The annual production is 20,000. 

FOX— PODALISCHER. The Red Fox of Southern 
Russian, Galicia and the LTkrainer steppes. 

FOX— POLAR OR WHITE. The habitat of this variety 
is principally in the North Polar regions, but the White 
Fox is found as far south as Labrador, where its 
range crosses that of the Blue Fox, and where it is 
known as the Blue-White Fox when its fur changes in 
the summer to a stone color. The White Foxes in this 
section are larger than the Blue Foxes found in the 
same locality, which would seem to disprove the claim 
of certain scientists, that the Blue Fox and the White 
Fox are color varieties of the same animal; especially as 
the habitats of the type species of the two are widely 

24 



separated, and the .Blue Fox never changes color in any 
part of its habitat. The annual production of White 
Foxes is as follows: North America, 30,000; Asia, 25,000; 
and Europe, 10,000. Owing to the difference in the cost 
of the skins, many White Foxes are dyed to imitate the 
natural Blue Foxes. 

FOX— PRAIRIE. A smaller animal than the North 
American Kit Fox, of which it is probably a variety. 
Its habitat, as its name indicates, is confined to the 
prairie lands of the United States. 

FOX— RACCOON. (See Bassarisk). 

FOX — RED. The most widely distributed and most use- 
ful representative of the Fox Family. The annual pro- 
duction is upwards of 1,500,000 skins, of which 200,000, 
come from North America; 60,000, from Siberia; 50,000, 
from Mongolia, China and Japan; 100,000, from Central 
Asia; 25,000, from Norway; 200,000, from Russia; 400,000, 
from Germany; 250,000, from the balance of Europe; and 
50,000, from Australia. The so-called Australian Red 
Foxes, are the progeny of English Land Foxes intro- 
duced into Australia fift}^ years ago, but the present 
stock is so changed in color and structure, that no one 
would think from their appearance today, that the Aus- 
tralian Fox should be classed as belonging to the species 
from which it sprung. Most of the Red Fox skins are 
dyed black, blue, brown, battle-ship grey, Isabella, mar- 
ten, sable, victory grey, taupe or Sitka color before 
being worked up by the furriers; and some skins are also 
"pointed" to imitate the natural silver fox. North 
American Red Foxes can always be distinguished from 
the old world species by the fur covering on the soles 
of their paws. 

FOX— RUSSIAN. A North Russian variety, that is 
much finer in fur, and darker in color, than the common 
type species of European Red Fox. 

FOX— SASKATCHEWAN. The British Columbia Kit 
Fox. 

FOX— SIBERIAN. The fine large Red Foxes from Ta- 
bolsk, and other provinces of Central Siberia, are dis- 
tinguished by this name. 

FOX— SILVER. (See Fox— Black or Silver). 

25 



FOX — SITKA. This name should afiply only to the large 
coarse-haired Silver Fox of the Aleutian Islands, but 
it is more often used to designate a certain shade of 
dyed Red Fox. 

FOX— SWIFT. (SeeVelox.) 

FOX— TURC. (French name for Kit Fox). 

FOX— VELOX OR SWIFT. North American Kit Fox. 

FOX— VIRGINIAN. (See Fox-Grey.) 

FRENCH CONEY. (See Cony.) 

FRENCH LEOPARD. Leopard dyed Cony. 

FRENCH LYNX. Trade name for black dyed Hare. 

FRENCH MOLE. (See Kittrass). 

FRENCH SEAL. French dyed Near Seals. 

FRENCH WOLF. Trade name for Russian Dog. 

FRETT. German for Ferret. 

FUCHS. German for Fox. 

FUCHSKUSU. German for Opossum. 

FURET. French for Ferret. 

FUR SEAL. (See Seals-Fur). 

GAMUZA. Spanish for Chamois. 

GATO. Spanish for Cat. 

GATO COMUN. Spanish for Domestic Cat. 

GATO MONTEO. Spanish for Wild Cat. 

GATOS MONTESES. Argentina name for Ocelot and 
Leopard Cats. 

GAUFRE. French for Gopher. 

GAUR. A wild Ox of India. 

GAYAL. Domesticated Gaur. 

GAZELLE. This antelope is the Spring-Bok of South 
Africa. The skins are used for leather. 

GEMEINER KATZE. German for Common or Domes- 
tic Cat. 

GEMSE, French for Chamois. 

26 



GENET OR GENETTE. There are several species of 
this branch of the Civet Family. The range of the 
commercially important, black or brown spotted, grey 
species, knovi^n as the Common Genette, extends 
through southern Europe, central Asia and northern 
Africa, but the less attractive Blotched Gennette is 
found only in Africa. Both of these species are about 
the size of a large cat, and have long bristly tails anno- 
tated with black or brown rings. The somewhat darker 
and larger Pardine Genette is seen only on the west 
Coast of Africa near the Equator. Furriers sometimes 
call the black domestic cats Genets, and speak of the 
Genettes as Bush Cats. In China the Genettes are 
known as Chinese Civets. 

GEOMIS. Spanish for Gopher. 

GIBBON. A man-like monkey found on the islands of 
the Eastern Archipelago, and on the main land of the 
Malayan Peninsular. It is inferior in intelligence to the 
other apes and can be readily distinguished from them 
by the extreme length of its arms. 

GINETA. Spanish for Genette. 

GINSTERKATZE. German for Genette. 

GLUTTON. The European species of Wolverine. 

GNU. A quaint South African representative of the An- 
tilope family. It has the head of a Bison, the horns of a 
Buffalo and the tail of a Horse. It has been broke to the 
plough by the natives of its habitat and is no longer 
hunted for its hide. 

GOATS. With the exception of the Rocky Mountain Goat 
of North America, the Caucassian Tur, and the Spanish 
Capramontes, all the different races of true Wild Goats 
are confined to some of the mountainous regions of 
Africa and Asia, and none of them are worthy of con- 
sideration as fur producers. Some interest naturally at- 
taches to the Himalayan Makor as the reputed ancestor 
of the Angora Goat; and the Pesang, to whom it is said 
a number of species of Domestic Goats owe their origin. 
The Cashmere, Thibet and a few other domesticated 
varieties are valued for their wool by cloth manufactur- 
ers, but the Chinese and Russian Domestic Goats are 
the only fur producers of their family. None of the 
Wild Goats are fur producers. When the furriers speak 
of "Goats" they refer to the Chinese and Russian do- 
mestic species. From 7,000,000 to 10,000,000 Goat Skins 

27 



arc exported from China annually. Som^? of tlic five or 
six million Tientsin, Hankow, and Riverport skins are 
shipped untanned. The fifty thousand skins from Che- 
kiang are all dressed and have the top hair removed be- 
fore they are sold as "Ban Kaos," or Chinese Mouflons; 
they are valued at less than half as much as the so-called 
Russian Alouflons, of which 300,000 are shipped from 
Kasan every year. The millions of Goat skins com- 
ing into the market from Shensi, Shansi and Manchuria 
are worked into two skin rugs before leaving China. 
The largest and best of these are called Sikao rugs, 
the second grade are known as Kalgans, and the third 
grade as Newchangs. The Kids of these Goats, called 
Che Hwa Tse by the natives, and Zickclfelle by the 
Germans, are also an important article of trade; about 
100,000 single skins, and 300,000 twenty skin kid crosses 
being exported annually from the northern provinces; 
many of these kid skins are as beautifully marked as 
moire astrachans or broadtail Persians, but the leather 
is very tender. 

GOLDEN SQUIRREL. The Siberian Chipmunk. 

GOPHER. An ill tempered destructive anim.al that is 
sometimes confounded with the graceful kindly disposi- 
tioned Spermophile, but it belongs to a different family. 

GORILLA. The ape that resembles man the closest in 
v.alk and structure. Its home is in Borneo. 

GREEBE. A bird whose skin is used by furriers for 
muffs, collars and trimmings. There are more than 
twenty varieties of this bird in dififerent parts of the 
world. 

GRISON. A South-American member of the Weasel 
Family that has little value as a fur producer, although 
a few hundred skins come into the hands of furriers 
each year. In Brazil it is known as the Hyrare, and in 
Europe it is sometimes called the South-American 
Fisher. 

GROUND HOG. American Marmot. 

GROUND SQUIRRELS. The Spermophile and Suslik. 

GUANACO. This is the most valuable animal of the 
South American Camel Family, for besides supplying 
food and clothing to the Patagonians, it furnishes about 
20,000 skins for fur purposes. 

GUARA. Maned wolf of South America. 

28 



GUEPARD. French for hunting Leopard or Chitah. 

GUEREZA. The Abyssinian Monkey. 

HAIR SEALS. (See Seals-Hair). 

HALBAFFE. German for Lemur. 

HALF PERSIANS. (See Lamb-Shiras.) 

HAMSTER. A species of field rat that is very abund- 
ant in Germany, Austro-Hungary and Russia; and is 
also frequently seen in other parts of Europe and Asia. 
Its fur is extensively used for linings. The annual pro- 
duction is as follows: Germany, 2,000,000; and Austro- 
Hungary, 500,000. 

HANKOWS. Poorest grade of Chinese Dogs. 

HARE. (Rabbit Family). Native hares are found in 
every part of the globe, except Australia. Millions of 
the Common Hares are killed every year for their 
flesh, and the pelts which are used to some extent by 
furriers, but principally by the felters. The Polar or 
White Hare from the Artie regions is the real fur pro- 
ducer of the family. The annual production from Siberia 
of this species is 5,000,000; and from North America, 
200,000. In addition to these the Hudson's Bay Com- 
pany offers several hundred thousand Varying Hares for 
sale every year. The so-called Australian Rabbit, is the 
progeny of European Hares brought to the Colony by 
early English settlers. (See Australian Rabbit.) 

HARP. The full grown Greenland Seal. 

HASEN. German for Hares. 

HEDGEHOG. An animal that is supplied with sharp 
spines or prickles that serve for its defense, in place of 
the hair which serves other ciuadrupeds for warmth and 
ornament. 

HERMALIN. German for Ermine. 

HERMINE. French for Ermine. 

HIND. The grown female Fallow Deer. 

HIRSCH. German for Deer. 

HOG. A general name for swine. 

HONEY BEAR. The-Kinkajou. 

HORSE. Male of any equine species. 

29 



HOUSE CATS. (See Cats.) 

HSINCHEE. Finest Chow Dog skins. 

HUANACO. Spanish for Guanaco. 

HUDSON'S BAY SABLE. (See Sables.) 

HUDSON SEAL. Muskrats plucked, and seal dyed. 

HULL Chinese for Fox. 

HUND. German for Dog. 

HUNTING LEOPARD. (See Leopards.) 

HURAN. Corean for Tiger. 

HURON. Spanish for Ferret. 

HYAENA. There are several species of this beast in 
Africa and Asia. It is called Hyjine by the Germans, 
and Hyene by the French. 

HYRARE. Brazilian name for Grison. 

IBEX. All wild goats are frequently spoken of as Ibex, 
but properly the name belongs only to a type species 
found at high elevations on the mountain ranges of 
southern Europe, Asia and Africa. 

IBICE. Spanish for Ibex. 

ICELAND FOX. A trade name given to straight haired 
Thibet lamb skins. 

ICELAND SHEEP. (See Lamb-Iceland). 

ICHNEUMON. This animal, also known as the Mun- 
goose, and the Tracker, has no commercial value; and 
is only mentioned here because of its connection with 
the Civet Family. It is a native of Egypt and India. 

ILTIS. German for Polecat. 

INDIAN MARTEN. The handsomest member of the 
Marten group. 

INDIAN RAT. (See Bandicoot.) 

IRBIS. German for the Snow Leopard. 

ISATIS. The Blue-White Fox. 

ISTATSL The Japanese Mink. 

JACKAL. A beast of prey found in various parts of 
Asia, Africa and Europe; one species of which contrib- 
utes from 5,000 to 10,000 skins annually to the world's 
fur supply. 

30 



JACK RABBIT. The Hare of the American Plains. 

JAGDLEOPARD. German for Hunting Leopard. 

JAGUAR. The largest and most formidable member of 
the Cat Family in America. With the exception of 
Chili and Peru, its range covers about all of South 
America, and also, extends into British Honduras, and 
Mexico. It is sometimes called the South American 
Panther. About 500 skins are secured annually. 

JAGUARONDI. A uniform brown colored Panther Cat, 
of which several different sizes are found in Texas, Cen- 
tral America, and parts of South America. 

JAGUARTIRIGA. Brazilian name for Ocelot-like crea- 
tures and Leopard Cats. 

JAMA JUM. Japanese Wolf. 

JAP FOX. (See Raccoon Dog.) 

JAPANESE FOX. (See Fox-Japanese.) 

JAPANESE MARTEN. (See Martens.) 

JAPANESE MINK. (See Istatsi.) 

JAPANESE SABLE. (See Sables.) 

JAVANESE SKUNK. (See Teladu.) 

JERBOA. This animal is sometimes called the Jumping 
Mouse of the Orient. 

JUNGLE CAT. (See Chaus). 

KALB. German for Calf. 

KALGANS. A fine grade of Chinese Goat skins. 

KAMEL. German for Camel. 

KANGAROO. With the exception of a few unimportant 
varities inhabiting the islands of New Guinea and New 
Britain, all the twenty-three species of Kangaroos are 
confined to Australia. The largest and most important 
member of this family of the Marsupials or Pouched 
Mammals is the Giant or Common Katigaroo, also 
known as the Boomer, Forester, Old Man, and 
Grey Kangaroo. The full grown males of this species 
often attain a height of seven feet. Only the skins of 
the young Common Kangaroos are suitable for the fur- 
riers purpose, those of the older animals being used 
solely for leather. Next in size is the Red Kangaroo, 

31 



of which variety the bluish grey furred skins of the 
female are alone valued by the furriers. The Blue Kan- 
garoo, which has a very soft, long bluish colored pelage, 
is the species most prized for its fur; but here too, the 
skins of the females are preferred to those of the males. 
The smallest and rarest of the Kangaroos is the Wal- 
laroo of the hill country, of which the males are dark 
brown in color, and the females a light grey. Since 
1890, when 400,000 were exported to London alone, there 
has been a marked and gradual decline in the annual 
production of Kangaroo skins. Now the total ship- 
ments will amount to less than 100,000 skins. 

KANGAROO HARE. A peculiar species of hare found 
only in Australia. 

KANGAROO RAT. A gregarious Australian field rat. 

KANGAROO SQUIRREL. A species of small Wallaby, 
which spends most of the time in the trees of its Aus- 
tralian habitat. The grizzly, brownish fur is well 
adapted for coat linings, for which purpose about 20,- 
000 skins are used annually. 

KANIN. German for Cony. 

KAPSKUNK. German for Zorilla. 

KARAKULE. Tartar name for Persian Lamb. 

KATZENBAR. German for Panda. 

KATZENFRETT. German for Basarisk. 

KID. A young Goat. 

KINKAJOU. This animal is occasionally seen in the 
low lands of Florida, Louisiana and Texas; but its prin- 
cipal habitats are at elevations of from four to five 
thousand feet, in the mountainous country from Mexico 
to the Amazon River in South America. It is closely 
allied to the Raccoon, and is also known as the Amer- 
ican Potto, Honey Bear, Mexican Weasel, Yellow Le- 
mur and Yellow Macaco. It has a glossy dense silky 
fur, but the skins are seldom met with in commerce. 

KIT CONY. (See Australian Rabbits.) 

KIT FOX. (See Fox-Kit.) 

KITSENU. Japanese for Fox. 

KITTEN. The young of any species of the cat family. 

32 



KITTRASS. Muskrat sheared and dyed to imitate Mole 
skins. 

KIVE TSU. Chinese for Squirrel. 

KJU. Chinese for Dog. 

KJU HAS TZE. (See Raccoon Dog). 

KLIPPDACHS. German for Procaria. 

KOALA. An ashy colored member of the Wombat Fam- 
ily, called the Native Bear by the Australians, although 
it is unlike the bear in its movements and habits. It 
is the largest mammel living in the trees of Australia, 
and its skins are extensively used in the manufacture of 
sleeping bags, coats and other articles where a durable, 
reasonable priced fur is desired. Owing to the close re- 
semblance of this animal to the Wombat, with which it 
is often confused, it is hard to estimate, separately, the 
number of Koala skins coming into the market annually. 

KOLINSKY. This member of the marten group of the 
Weasel Family, also known as the Chorok, Red Sable, 
Siberian Mink and Tartar Sable, has its habitat in Sub- 
eria where the Tartars call it Kulon. The annual pro- 
duction is upwards of 150,000. The natural color of the 
fur is a yellowish red, or a deep orange, and the fur- 
riers dye the skins to imitate the blended sable in color. 
The skins sometimes come into the fur market without 
the tails, as these form a separate article of commerce, 
being bought by the manufacturers of paint brushes, 
the hairs being specially adapted for their purpose. 

KOSSOMAK. Russian Wolverine or Glutton. 

KRIMMER. (See Lamb-Crimmer.) 

KUGUAR. German for Puma. 

KULON. Tartar name for Kolinsky. 

KUMA. Japanese for Bear. 

KUZU. Japanese for Celebes Opossum. 

LABRADOR MARTEN. (See Sable). 

LA LONG. Chinese for Wolf. 

LAMB. Lambs are the only fur producers of the Sheep 
Family; as when they are matured, the long hair on the 
representatives of this family is generally coarse, and 
the under wool is thick and matted. A list of the more 
important fur-bearing lambs follows: 

33 



LAMB-ASTRACHAN. A species found in the province 
of Astrachan, and other parts of southern Russia and 
in Asia. The annual production is about 1,000,000 skins. 

LAMB-BOKHARAN. (See Persian Lamb). 

LAMB-BROADTAIL. All "Persian" Lambs are the 
progeny of Broadtail sheep, but skin dealers generally 
apply the name Broadtail only to the skins of the still 
born lambs, called Breitschwanz by the German fur 
merchants, but sometimes they use it to distinguish 
other varieties of flat Persians. 

LAMB-CHINESE OR MONGOLIAN. A soft wool, 
moderately long haired, lamb of Mongolia, Manchuria, 
and other parts of nothern China. It has quite an im- 
portant place in the fur trade. Over 500,000 of these 
skins are worked up annually at home and abroad. 

LAMB-CRIMMER OR KRIMMER. A tight curled, 
grey lamb fro;ii the Crimea; the annual production of 
which is about 500,000. 

LAMB-DANADA OR PIN HEAD PERSIAN. A species 
which was formerly abundant, but is now almost ex- 
tinct. 

LAMB-ICELAND. A lamb with beautifully curled, long, 
silky wool. It is extensively used for the manufacture 
of baby carriage robes and children's furs. Its habitat 
is in Iceland and adjacent regions. 

LAMB-PERSIAN OR BOKHARA. This is the most 
valuable of all lambs. Its home is not in Persia, as the 
name by which it is generally known would indicate, 
but it is found in its native, state in Bokhara, and other 
wild parts of central Asia. It probably owes its name 
to the fact that the skins are collected by Persian traders, 
who ship them to the fur markets of the world. For 
some years efforts have been made in different parts of 
the world, by crossing the native parent stock of the 
Persian Lamb with local long wool sheep, to secure a 
lamb that would produce the same variety of fur. Re- 
ports from Texas, and Prince Edward Island, would in- 
dicate that satisfactory results have been obtained there; 
but as yet it is impossible to say if such breeding can be 
carried on successfully upon a large scale. These lambs 
must be killed within ten days of their birth, before the 
tight curl which is the beauty of the Persian Lamb 
begins to open. At the expiration of three months the 

34 



animal, although it is still black, is covered with a coat 
of long, coarse wool, interspersed with stiff hairs which 
become grey by the time the lamb is six months old. 
The annual production in normal times is 1,500,000; 
without taking into account the 100,000 Breitschwanz, or 
still-born Persians, that come into the hands of furriers 
every year. 

LAMB-SALTED OR SALZFELLE. This variety is 
found in north Arabia, and Syria, as well as in Persia. 
It owes its name to the fact that these skins are dry- 
salted before being shipped. They are poor in quality. 

LAMB-SHIRAS OR HALF PERSIAN. This is the 
variety that really should be credited to Persia. The 
curl is not as tight as that on the Bokhara lambs, and the 
skins when dyed lack the lustre which distinguishes the 
so-called Persians. The annual production of Shiras 
Lamb skins is about 300,000. 

LAMB-TIBET. The skins known as Thibet Lamb do 
not come from Tibet, but from the provinces of Shansi, 
and Shensi, in Northern China; where they are called the 
Mandarin Lamb by dealers, and Tan Pih by the natives. 
There is some difference of opinion among scientistSi 
as to whether this animal belongs to the sheep or goat 
family, but the thick under wool would indicate that its 
proper place is with the sheep. It is claimed that the 
Mandarin Lamb is sewed up in a covering of Cotton 
cloth immediately after birth, to protect the silky long 
curls from injury during the six weeks, it is allowed to 
live. It is estimated that 600,000, single skins; 20,000, 
six to eight skin crosses; and 4000, twenty skin coats; of 
these so-called Thibet Lambs are marketed annually. 
The finest of these skins are known in the trade as "Shi 
Shings" or "Chowchings", the next grade are called 
"Tung Chows," and the next "Shentifus." 

LAMB-UKRAINER. This is the close curled, black 
lamb, of the Ukrainer steppes. The curls are larger, 
and more open, than those of the Persian Lamb; and 
they will not take on the same rich lustre in dyeing. 
About 30,000 is the probable annual production. 

LAMME. German for Lambs. 

LANDOTTER. German for Common Otter. 

LAO FU. Chinese for Tiger. 

LAPIN. French for Cony. 

35 



LARGOTIS. French for Chinchillona. 

LEMUR. These animals have sometimes been called 
Fox-Nosed Monkeys, but they are only found on the 
island of Madagascar where no monkeys exist. There 
are rnany species of Lemurs, differing from one another 
principally in color. The skins are of little value. 

LEON. French for Lion. 

LEOPARDS. The Leopard is the most graceful and 
beautiful representative of the Cat Family, and the larg- 
est spotted cat in the old world. It was called the Pein- 
ther by the ancients, but now the Common Leopard 
is generally known as the Pard. A number of species 
of the Common Leopard are found in Africa, Asia and 
the islands of the Indian Archipelago. The most im- 
portant is the East Indian Leopard, with its rich red- 
dish, or deep orange, color above, and white under parts. 
Black Leopards, are never seen on the main land, but 
are quite frequent on the island of Java; where they are 
probably a color variety rather than a distinct species. 
The rare and beautiful Clouded Leopard, has its habitat 
in the mountains of Northern Asia, Burma, Siam, and on 
the island of Borneo. The Snow Leopard, or Ounce, of 
the Vale of Cashmere, and the Himalaya Mountains, is 
sometimes confounded with the Persian Leopard, whose 
body color is grey instead of white. The fawn colored 
Hunting Leopard, or Chitah, of Central Asia and Africa, 
is longer bodied, and stands higher than any of the other 
Leopards, but has a smaller head. This species takes 
kindly to capitivity; and in the middle ages was intro- 
duced into France to stalk the Roebuck and the Hare. 
In India it is still trained to hunt the antelope. The 
skins of 10,000, Common Leopards; 800, Snow Leopards; 
200, Clouded Leopards; and 200, Hunting Leopards are 
secured annually. 

LEOPARD CATS. (See Cats). 
LEOPARDENZEISEL. German for Spermophile. 

LEOPARD NEBULEAUX. French for Clouded Leop- 
ard. 
LEOPARDO. Spanish for Leopard. 

LEOPARDO CAZADOR. Spanish for Hunting Leopard. 
LEPRI. Spanish for Hare. 

LEROT. The medium sized variety of Dormouse. 

36 



LESSER SKUNK. (See Civet Cat.) 

LIEVRE. French for Hare. 

LINCE. Spanish for Lynx. 

LINSANG. This is a beautifully marked species of the 
Civet Family found in Java and Malacca. It has re- 
ceived little consideration from furriers. 

LION. The largest and smallest specimens of this 
species of the Cat Family, are respectively the Guzzerat 
Lion, and the Persian Lion, of Asia; but the habitat of 
most of the other Lions is restricted to Africa, where 
the different varieties show considerable variation in 
size and color. It is estimated that not more than 100 
Lion skins are offered for sale annually. 

LIPPENBAR. German for Sloth Bear. 

LIRON. Spanish for Dormouse. 7 

LITTLE STRIPED SKUNK. (See Civet Cat). 

LLAMA. This representative of the Camel Family is 
found in Bolivia, Peru and parts of Equador. In Peru 
it is used as a beast of burden, but in other parts of 
its habitat it supplies the natives with meat and milk, 
as well as wool for fabrics. 

LOBO-DE LAS PRADERAS. Spanish for Coyote. 

LOIR. The largest variety of Dormouse. 

LORI. This Lemur-like animal is found on the island 
of Ceylon. It is about the size of a squirrel, and longer 
in proportion to its size than any other animal; having 
nine vertebra instead of the usual seven. 

LOTOR. (See Raccoon). 

LOUP. French for Wolf or Coyote. 

LOUP-CERVIER. French for Canada Lynx. 

LOUP-MARIN. French for Fur Seal. 

LOUTRA. French for Otter. 

LOUTRA DE KAMSCHATKA. French for Sea Otter. 

LOWE. German for Lion. 

LUCHS. German for Lynx. 

LUCHSKATZE. German for Lynx Cat. 

LUPI OR LOBO. Spanish for Wolf. 

37 



LUPI-TIERRE. Spanish for Aard Wolf. 

LUTRA. Spanish for Otter. 

LURANG. Spanish for Linsang. 

LUTRA CAMCHATICA. Spanish for Sea Otter. 

LUWACKS. (See Pahii Cats). 

LYNX. The True Lynx can always be distinguished by 
the pencils of black hair which ornament its cars and 
which are never found on any of the species of Cat 
Lynx. The silvery Common Lynx still found in con- 
siderable numbers in Russia, .Scandinavia, Finland, 
Spain and other parts of Europe, and in some sections 
of Asia, is the type species of the true Lynx; but the 
American or Canadian Lynx is the most abundant spec- 
ies. Of the 50,000, North American Lynx, marketed an- 
nually, the finest skins come from Labrador, Nova 
Scotia, Alaska, and the York Fort district of the Hud- 
son's Bay country. The Newfoundland Lynx is the 
darkest in color, and the Silvery Alaska species the 
palest. The Pardine Lynx, of Southern Europe, is the 
most beautiful representative of the Common Lynx; but 
the largest and most valuable skins of this species come 
from Russia, Finland, and the Scandinavian Peninsula. 

LYRASKUNK. German for Civet Cat. 

MACACO. Black Lemur of Madagascar. 

MAKI. Another name for Lemur. 

MAKOR. A Wild Goat of the Himalayas believed to be 
the ancestor of the Syrian, or Angora Goat. 

MALACCA WEASEL, (See Rassee). 

MALAYAN BADGER. (See Teladu.) 

MAMI. Japanese for Badger. 

MANCHURIAN LAMB. (See Lamb-Tibet.) 

MANCHURIAN WOLF. Trade name for Chinese Dog 
Furs. 

MANDRILL. The most formidable, ferocious and hide- 
ous of the Baboons. Its home is in West Africa. 

MANGABEY. A species of Monkey found in West 
Africa and Madagascar. 

MAO. Chinese for Cat. 

MARA. The Pampas Hare of Patagonia. 

38 



HARDER. German for Marten. 

MARE. Female of any Equine species. 

MARMOSE. An Australian animal greatly resembling 
the Opossum from which it seems to differ only in size, 
being much smaller. 

MARMOSET. The smallest representative of the Mon- 
key Family. It is found only in South America and is 
also known as the Tamarin and Ouistitis. 

MARMOT. The Marmots form a separate group of the 
Squirrel Family, of which they are the largest represen- 
tatives. In some localities the marmot is known as the 
Bear Mouse, and in others as the Ground Hog and 
Woodchuck. The Cree Indians called it Weemusk; and 
the early French Canadian traders classed it as the 
Quebec Marmot. Bobac is the name given to the Rus- 
sian species. 400,000, of the annual supply of these skins 
come from Russia and Siberia; 500,000, from China; and 
only 30,000 from North America. The Wish-Ton-Wish, 
or Prairie Dog, is not a true Marmot, but because of 
similarity in habits, and size some scientists place it in 
the marmot group. 

MARMOTA. Spanish for Marmot. 

MARMOT MINK. Mink dyed Marmot skins. 

MARMOTTE. French for Marmot. 

MARTEN. The type representative of the Marten group 
of the Weasel Family, is the yellow breasted tree or pine 
marten of the higher northern latitudes, more generally 
known to furriers as the Baum Marten. The white 
breasted Beech or Stone Marten, called Steinmarder by 
the Germans, is much more abundant than the Baum 
Marten, its range covering the whole of central Europe, 
parts of European Russia, Asia Minor, and some sec- 
tions of North America. The Brown Marten of the 
zoologists is the Hudson's Bay Sable of commerce, and 
the Alaska Marten, and the Labrador Marten, are both 
local varieties of the brown marten. The Indian Mar- 
ten, sometimes called the Afghan Fisher, is easily dis- 
tinguished by its beautiful coloring and twenty inch 
tail, and is considered by many to be the handsomest 
member of the marten group. The Japanese Marten, of 
which about 30,000 are caught annually, is a local 
variety of tree marten called Ten by the natives. The 
annual production of Baum Martens is as follows: 

39 



Germany, 50,000; Norway and Sweden, 20,000; Rus- 
sia, 50,000; the rest of Europe, 60,000; and northern 
Asia 30,000. Of the yearly supply of Stone Martens, 
50,000 come from Bosnia and Turkey; 100,000, from 
Germany; 50,000, from Russia; 150,000 from the rest 
of Europe; and 30,000 from northern Asia. 

MARTORE. Spanish for Marten. 

MARTRE. French for Marten. 

MARTRE DE PRUSSE. French for Baum Marten. 

MAULWARF. German for Mole. 

MEXICAN WEASEL. (See Kinkajou.) 

MICO. The Silver Haired Monkey of South America. 
It has a deep brown colored tail and is a very beauti- 
ful animal. 

MINK. The True Mink is found only in North Amer- 
ica, but the Nerz and Sumpfotter of Germany and 
Russia, the Shantung Weasel of China, and the Istatsi 
of Japan; in spite of differences in structure, pelage, 
and color are generally known as European Mink, 
Chinese Mink, and Japanese Mink respectively. All 
American Minks are local varieties of one species. They 
are graded closer by the dealers than any other skins. 
First, they are sorted with reference to section, then 
they are graded according to quality and color, and 
finally assorted to size. The finest minks are those from 
Maine, Labrador, Novia Scotia and other sections of 
Canada, known as "North Eastern Minks." The East- 
em Minks" from northern New York and New Eng- 
land rank next; then come the "North Western" skins 
from Minnesota, Wisconsin, northern Michigan, and 
British Columbia. The "Central," "Western," and 
"Southern" Minks follow in the order named. The 
skins, from New England to North Carolina, are called 
"Carolina" Minks. "Alaska Minks/' like the Russian 
species, are generally large and of good color, but 
shorter in hair than the other American varieties. The 
total American production is about 600,000 skins annu- 
ally; and that of Europe about 20,000. The Kolinsky is 
sometimes called the "Siberian Mink." 

MISHTUMISK. Indian name for Badger. 

MOCAGOU. A Baboon-like Monkey of the Congo. 

40 



MOCOCO. A beautiful Lemur-like animal of Madagascar. 
It s about the size of a cat, has a soft velvety red ash 
colored fur, and a very long white tail marked alter- 
nately with broad rings of black and white. 

MOFETA. Spanish for Skunk. 

MOLE. Many millions of these little skins are marketed 
annually, and are graded as "firsts" and "seconds." 
The Dutch Moles are larger but not as full and silky 
in fur as the Scotch Moles. Moles are found in North 
America from Southern Canada to the lowlands of 
Florida but they are poor in quality. 

MOLE CONY. Australian Rabbit Skins sheared, and 
dyed mole color. 

MOLINE. European Cony skins sheared, and dyed 
mole color. 

MONA. A black and red Monkey of Northern Africa. 

MONGOLIES. Russian mouflon skins. 

MONGOOZ. This Madagascar Lemur is smaller than 
The Mococo and has a uniform colored tail. The 
body fur is black on some animals of this species, and 
brown on others. 

MONKEY. The skin dealers group the various species 
of Africa Monkeys under the common name of Mon- 
key. The different varieties seen in commerce are: 
The black and white thighed Colobus and the gray 
Diana monkeys of western Africa, the Abysinnian Mon- 
key or Guereza of central Africa; the blue monkey 
or Mountain Entellus of the Himalayas; a few spec- 
ies of the Wanderoo of Asia; and the Howling Monkey 
of South America. Most of the skins sold annually 
come from Africa. 

MONO. Spanish for Ape. 

MOOSE. The North American Moose and the Elk of 
old world are the same animal. 

MOUFLON. This wild sheep of Corsica and Sardinia 
is probably the ancestor of some of the long wool, ar- 
tificial breeds of sheep, with short flat tails and cres- 
centric horns; but it is not the animal from which 
the so-called "Mouflon Skins" of commerce are 
obtained. 

41 



MOUFLON SKINS. The dehaired skins of Mongolian 
and Che-kiang, goats, which after this operation are 
sold as Russian and Chinese Mouflons respectively. 

MOUNTAIN BEAR. (See Binturong). 

MOUNTAIN CAT. (See Bassarisk). 

MOUNTAIN ENTELLUS. The Blue Monkey of 
Africa. 

MOUNTAIN LION. (See Puma). 

MOUSTOC. The White Nosed Monkey of the African 
Gold Coast. 

MOUTON. French for Sheep. 

MUNGOOSE. (See Ichneumon.) 

MUNSENAH. Japanese Badger. 

MURMEL. German for Marmot. 

MUSANG. A Malayan Palm Cat. 

MUSCARDIN. The smallest variety of Dormouse. 

MUSK OX. The present habitat of the two existing 
species of this animal is in the Arctic regions of Amer- 
ica; but fossilized remains shovv that at one time 
the range of the Musk Ox extended as far south as 
Kentucky, in the United States. It has the teeth of 
a sheep, and the horns of a bull, so scientists have 
given it a separate place between the ox and sheep 
families. 

MUSKRAT. Owing to its numerical strength, and the 
many purposes for which it is used, the jnuskrat is as 
valuable commercially, as it is common on the North 
American continent to which it is restricted. The an- 
nual catch is upward of 10,000,000, the best being the 
"Late Winter," and "Early Spring" rats, taken in De- 
cember, January and February, allowance being made 

- for variations of climate in the different sections. "Fall" 
rats, are light in fur, and "Late Spring" rats, are heavier 
in pelt than is desirable for dyeing purposes, even if they 
are taken when the fur of the animal is at its best just 
before it begins to shed the winter coat. Most of the 
300,000, Black Muskrats, that come into the market each 
year, are found in the collections from the Delaware, 
Maryland, and Virginia district. The best Brown MusTc- 
rats come from Northern New York, New Jersey and 

42 



Pennsylvania, Canada, New England, Michigan, Wis- 
consin and Northern Ohio, Indiana and Illinois. The 
poorest skins come from the far Southern states, and 
good intermediate qualities from the different sections 
between the two districts mentioned. Muskrats are 
graded according to quality and size, as well as sec- 
tion, to determine the average price per nose when origi- 
nal lots arc offered for sale. As with other skins "Kits," 
are of little value, and shot skins are worth much less 
than those of trapped animals. The Muskrat is called 
Musquash by the Indians, Bisam by the Germans, Al- 
mizclera by the Spanish, and Ondatra and Ratmusque, 
by the French. Labrador Muskrats are smaller and 
darker than Ontario or New England skins. Dismal 
Swamp skins are richer furred and darker still. 

MUSK SHREW. (See Desman.) 

MUSMON. Another name for Mouflop. 

MUSQUASH. Indian name for Muskrat. 

NANDINE. A species of Palm Cat found in the western 
parts of Africa, and on the Malayan Islands. 

NASENBAR. German for Coati. 

NASUA. Mexico and South America Coati. 

NATIVE BEAR. (See Koala). 

NATIVE CAT. (See Dasyure). 

NEAR SEAL. European Conies that have been plucked, 
and dyed seal color. The French dyed conies are some- 
times called French Seal. 

NEBELPANTHER. German for Ciouded Leopard. 

NEKO. Japanese for Cat. 

NERZE. German for Mink. 

NEWCHANGS. The finest Chinese Dog skins. 

NOSE BEAR. (See Coati). 

NUTRIA. This is the Spanish name for the Otter; but 
commercially it is applied to the Coypu Rat, which is 
most abundant in Argentina and Brazil, but whose 
range extends over the greater part of South Amer- 
ica. This animal is sometimes called the South Am- 
erican Beaver, because it resembles the Beaver in some 
of its habits and appearance. The annual production 
is several million skins. 

43 



NYL GHAU. The white footed East India Leopard. 

OCELOT. The largest Leopard Cat of America, where 
its range extends south from Texas through Mexico 
and Central America to the southern part of Brazil. 
Its beautifully marked skins are used by the furriers 
for a variety of purposes. In some sections of its habi- 
tat it is called the Young Jaguar. 

OCHS. German for Ox. 

ONDATRA. French for. Platybus. 

ONZA. Spanish for Ounce. 

OPOSSUM. The type species of this animal is the Vir- 
ginia Opossum found in the United States, from New 
York to Florida, and from Missouri to Texas. It is 
most abundant in the southern sections of its habitat; 
but the best skins come from New York, New Jersey, 
Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Maryland, Ohio, Illinois, 
Indiana, Missouri, Iowa and Kansas. The Vulpine 
Phalanger and Cook's Phalanger are known respectively 
as the Australian Opossum and the Ring Tail Opossum. 
There are also a few unimportant specimens of this ani- 
mal in South America. It takes millions of Opossums, 
annually, to supply the world's demands; over three 
fourths of the production coming from Australia. 

ORANG-OUTANG. An Ape that equals the Chimpanzee 
in intelligence. Its home is in Borneo. 

ORSO. Spanish for Bear. 

ORSO BLANCO. Spanish for White Bear. 

ORSO GRIS. Spanish for Grey Bear. 

ORSO GRIS DE AMERICA. Spanish for Grizzly Bear. 

ORSO NEGRO. Spanish for Black Bear. 

ORSO PARDO. Spanish for Brown Bear. 

OTTER. Terrestrial in make and acquatic in form, this 
animal is the connecting link between the land and water 
mammals. The distribution of the Otter is almost 
world wide. One of the ten recognized species is Euro- 
pean and Oriental, three are exclusively Oriental, two 
are African and four are American. The best known 
species is the Common Otter, of Europe; and the most 
valuable is the American or Canadian Otter. The largest 
is the Brazilian Otter; and the smallest are the Feline 

44 



Otter of South America and the Clawless Otter of In- 
dia. The annual supply of skins from North America, 
is upwards of 30,000; from South America, 5,000, from 
Japan, 5,000; from China, 30,000; from Siberia and Kam- 
schatka, 20,000; from Southern Asia 1,000; and from 
Europe, 30,000. The fine dark skins from Labrador, 
and the East Main district, are the best. The Sea Otter, 
sometimes called the Kamschatka Beaver, approxi- 
mates the seals in its habits more than it does either the 
otter or beaver, and is rightly classed as belonging to a 
separate genus apart from both. 

OUISTITIS. (See Marmoset). 

OUNCE. The Snow Leopard. 

OURS. French for Bear. 

OURS BLANC. French for White Bear. 

OURS BRUN. French for Brown Bear. 

OURS ORIS. French for Grey Bear. 

OURS GRISETRE. French for Grizzly Bear. 

OURS NOIR. French for Black Bear. 

OX. Male of any bovine species. 

PACA. A South American animal somewhat resembling 
the rabbit, but instead of making use of its paws to 
bring the food to its mouth it roots in the ground 
like a hog. It is beautifully marked along the sides 
with small ash colored spots on an amber ground, but 
has a coarse hair covering instead of the downy pelage 
of the rabbit and hare. It is about two feet long and 
has a twelve-inch tail. The skins are principally used 
for leather. 

PACOS. A South American Camel. 

PAGUMA. A species of Palm Cat. 

P'AHMI. This animal listed by the Leipzig skin dealers 
as the Chinese Stone Marten, and often called the Grey 
Marmot in China, is an Asiatic member of the Weasel 
Family whose skins have lately come into favor. It is 
probably the connecting link between the true badgers 
and the skunks, and is called Stinckdachs by the Ger- 
mans because it rivals the stinking badger in the oflfen- 
siveness of its odor. 

PAINTER. A name sometimes given to the Puma. 

45 



PALM CATS. The Nandine, of Guinea; The Paguma, of 

Asia, Sumatra and Borneo; the Paradoxures, or common 
palm cats of India, and the Musang, of the Malayan 
Peninsular; all come under this head. They are also 
called Luwacks, Palm Martens and Palm Civets, the 
latter being the proper designation as they all belong 
to the Civet Family. 

PALM CIVETS. (See Palm Cats). 

PALM MARTENS. (See Palm Cat). 

PALMENROLLER. German for Palm Cat. 

PAMIR. A wild Sheep, which inhabits the elevated dis- 
trict in Central Asia known as the roof of the world. 

PAMPAS CAT. A South American Wild Cat that re- 
sembles the European Wild Cat. It is distinguished 
by dark transverse bars, on a greyish yellow coat. 

PANDA. This animal, sometimes called the Red Cat 
Bear, is claimed to be the connecting link between the 
Raccoons and the Bears. Its habitat is in Asia. 

PANTERA. Spanish for Panther. 

PANTHER. The largest Asiatic Leopard. 

PANTHER CAT. (See Jaguarondi). 

PANTHERE. French for Panther. 

PARADOXURE. The Palm Civet of Asia and the Ma- 
layan islands. 

PARD. Name given by Linnaeus to the Leopard. 

PARDALIS. Gesner named the Leopard Pardalis. 

PAREMELES. (See Bandicoot). 

PATAS. The Red African Monkey of Senegal. 

PAVIAN. German for Baboon. 

PAZAN. A variety of Gazelle. 

PECAN. Spanish and French for Fisher. 

PEDEMELON. The Bridled Kangaroo. A small unim- 
portant species sometimes called "Paddy Melon" in 
Australia. 

PELZSEEHUND. German for Fur Seal. 

PENANT'S MARTEN. (See Fisher.) 

46 



PERSIANA. German for Persian Lamb. 

PERSIAN LAMB. (See Lamb-Persian.) 

PERWITSKY. The Mottled Polecat of central Europe 
and Siberian Russia. It is more generally known as the 
Sarmatian Polecat, and the Germans call it Tigeriltis. 

PESANG. One of the Wild Goats, from which it is 
claimed the type representatives of the domesticated 
goats are descended. 

PETIT GRIS. French for Squirrel. 

PHALANGER. Cook's Phalanger, commercially known 
as the Ring Tail Opossum, a very small animal with a 
soft chinchilla like fur, is confined to Australia; but the 
range of the larger and coarser Vulpine-Phalanger gen- 
erally called Australian Opossum, extends into Tasmania 
and New Zealand. The clear grey and black Tasmanian 
Opossums are much larger than the Australian species 
and much more valuable, but the smaller New Zealand 
skins are superior to those received from either of the 
foregoing sections. Of the Australian Opossums the 
small blue skins, shipped from Adelaide, are the finest; 
next in quality are the larger, silver grey Victoria skins» 
shipped from Melbourne. The New South Wales Opos- 
sums, shipped from Sidney, are the largest and most 
abundant, but do not average as good in quality or color 
as the others; the blue skins of this variety are graded 
as "Primas," and the red heads and red backs as 
"Seconds," and "Thirds," respectively. The poorest 
Australian Opossums are the coarse, reddish grey skins 
received from Queensland and West Australia. 

PHOQUE. French for Hair Seal. 

PIG. The young of swine. 

PILORL West Indian Desman. 

PIN HEAD PERSIAN. (See Lamb-Danada.) 

PLATYBUS... An egg laying mammal of Australia, where 
it is commonly known as the Duck Bill. The under fur 
of this animal is said to be softer and more beautiful 
than that of the seal, but only a few of its skins come 
into the market. 

POINTED FOX. (See Fox-Red). 

POLECAT. This is the Fitch or Fitch Marten, the type 
representative of the Polecat group of the Weasel Fam- 
ily. The several varieties found in Central Europe, 

47 



with a yellow ground showing through the glossy black 
top hairs, are distinguished as German Fitch. Those 
from Eastern Europe and Northern Asia with a white 
underfur, are known as Russian Fitch, and the mottled 
Polecat, which has its habitat in the wilds of Siberia 
and Central Asia, is called the Perwitsky. The annual 
production of German Fitch is about 150,000, of Russian 
Fitch about 200,000 and of the Perwitsky less than 
10,000. 

POLEDRI. Spanish for Pony. 

PONY-KIRGHEZ. When furriers speak of Pony skins, 
they refer to the pelts of the foals of the ponies of the 
Kirghez-Steppcs in Russia and Central Asia. Some of 
these Russian Pony skins are marked as beautifully as 
fine moire Astrachan. 

POTTO. A Lemurroid ally of the Raccoon Family, found 
in Nepal and China. 

POULAIN. French for Pony. 

PRAIRIE DOG. A North American animal closely 
allied to the Marmot. 

PRAIRIE WOLF. (See Coyote.) 

PRONG HORN. The only Antelope in North America. 
Its range formerly extended from British Columbia to 
Mexico, but it is gradually becoming more and more 
restricted. 

PUMA. The principle habitat of the Puma is in Central 
America, but it is sometimes seen in the mountainous 
sections of North America. It is also known as the 
American Lion, Catamount, Cougar, Deer Tiger, Painter, 
Mountain Lion, Panther and Red Tiger. 

PUPPY. The young of certain quadrupeds. 

PUTOIS. French for Polecat or Fitch. 

PUTOIS-MADRE. French for Perwitsky. 

PUZZOLL Spanish for Fitch. 

PUZZOLI DE AMERICA. Spanish for Fisher. 

QUAGGA. A Zebra like animal. 

QUEBEC MARMOT. Canadian Ground Hog or Wood 

Chuck. 
QUICK HATCH. (See Wolverine.) 

48 



RABBIT. For more than a century the American Hare 
has been called a rabbit by the fur traders, in spite of 
the fact that it does not live in burrows but occupies 
forms in the grass and hushes like the rest of the hares, 
and has the same parchment skin, and a pelage which 
is better adapted for cutting, felting, and hat making 
than for fur purposes. This is also in a measure true of 
the Australian Rabbit, but millions of these skins are 
now used by the furrfers in their natural state, when they 
are known as Kit Conies; or dehaired and dyed to pro- 
duce the popular priced imitations of beaver, mole, 
nutria and Hudson Seals, known as Beaver Conies, Mole 
Conies, Nutria Conies and Sealines. Australian Rabbits 
are sold by the pound and exported raw in bales weigh- 
ing about seven hundred pounds each. Tasmanian Rab- 
bit skins are superior to the Australian; and New Zea- 
land furnishes a still better quality; but they are all in- 
ferior to the European Conies and are only used by the 
furriers where price is the consideration rather than 
quality. The small "Cottontail," is the American species 
approximating the closest to the true European rabbit. 
The "Snow Shoe Rabbit" of the far north, and the 
"Jack Rabbit" of the American plains are hares. 

RACCOON. The Raccoon is restricted to the central and 
southern parts of North America. It is called Marmotte 
by the French, and because of a habit of washing its 
food before putting it in the mouth it is called the 
"VVaschbar" by the Germans. The annual supply is 
about one million skins. The heavy furred, large Wis- 
consin, Minnesota, Dakota, and Northern Iowa skins; 
are the most valuable. Those from New York, New 
Jersey, Pennsylvania, Canada and New England, Ne- 
braska, Kansas, and Northern Indiana, Illinois, Ohio, 
and Missouri, and Southern Iowa, are about as fine in 
quality; but the average size is smaller. "Southern 
Coons" are much flatter in fur and poorer in color 
than the "Central" and "Northern" varieties, and are 
generally sold as "Coat Coons" for about one third of 
the price asked for northern "Furrier's Coons." Rac- 
coons are graded according to the size, and the color 
and quality of the fur, as well as the section. A small 
crab eating raccoon whose range extends from the 
southern part of the United States, through Central 
America into South America, has a coarse harsh fur, 
and is of little or no commercial value. It is some- 
times called Lotor. 

49 



RACCOON DOG. This animal, called Tanuki by the 

Japanese and Kju Hao Tze by the Chinese, is listed by 
different traders as the Jap Fox, Sea Fox and Chi- 
nese Badger. In spite of the fact that it approximates 
closely to the badger in its habits, it is really a dog, 
resembling the raccoon in appearance; and scientists 
have rightly classed it the Raccoon Dog. 150,000, of the 
skins marketed annually, come from China; 140,000, from 
Japan; and 30,000, from Korea; but they are all listed 
by American fur traders as Jap Foxes. 

RACCOON FOX. (See Bassarisk). 

RAM. Grown male of the sheep kind. 

RASSE. This animal is also known as the Lesser Civet 
and the Malacca Weasel. It is widely distributed in 
China, India and the Malay Peninsula and the East 
Indian Islands. It secretes a perfume called Dedes by 
the Japanese. 

RAT COYPU. (See Nutria.) 

RATEL. This animal belongs to the Badger group of the 
Weasel family, and is found in India and Africa. It is 
also called the Honey Badger, because it digs up the 
earth with its long claws in search of the honeycombs of 
the wild bees. 

RAGONDIN. French name for Nutria. 

RATMUSQUE. French for Muskrat. 

RATON. A name for Raccoons. 

RATTI MUSCHIATI. Spanish for Muskrat. 

RED CAT BEAR. (See Panda.) 

RED LYNX. (See Caracal.) 

RED SABLE. (See Kolinsky.) 

RED SQUIRREL. The Chickaree. 

RED TIGER. (See Puma.) 

REINECKE. German for European Red Fox. 

RENARD. French for Fox. 

RENARD ARGENTI. French for Silver Fox. 

RENNE. French for Reindeer. 

RENO. Spanish for Reindeer. 

50 



RENTIER. German for Reindeer. 

RING TAIL. (See Bassarisk.) 

RING TAIL OPOSSUM. (See Phalanger-Cook's.) 

RIVER MINK. Trade name for Muskrat fur. 

ROCK SQUIRRELS. The Chipmunks. 

ROCKY MOUNTAIN GOAT. The only species of wild 
Goat found on the North American Continent. It has 
been given a special genus by scientists, because there 
is considerable difference of opinion as to whether it 
should be classed as a Goat or an Ox. 

ROEBUCK. The smallest Deer in the temperate zone. 

RUSSELMAUS. German for Desman. 

RUSSIAN MUSKRAT. The Desman. 

RUSSIAN RACCOON. (See Panda.) 

SABLES. The Russian Sable is the most important mem- 
ber of the Marten group of the Weasel family. The 
Hudson's Bay Sable and other North American Brown 
Martens could properly be classed as local varieties of 
the Pine Marten, distinguished by a longer and finer 
quality of fur. The Russian Sable, with its much more 
cone-shaped head, stouter limbs and longer feet, must 
because of these structural differences be placed in a 
separate species. There are furs that cost more per 
skin, but when its size is considered, the Russian Sable 
is the most valuable of all fur-bearing animals. The 
Chinese Sable and the Japanese Sable are both local va- 
rieties of the Russian Sable, the type species of which is 
confined however to Siberia. The finest Russian Sables 
come from the Vitim and Olekma districts, but they are 
almost equaled in quality by those from Bargusin. The 
smaller and browner skins from Jakutch and Okhotch 
are next in quality. Then come the heavily silvered, 
large brown skins from Kamtchatka, and after that the 
silvered small brown Sables from the Amur district. 
The Nertchinsk skins are coarser furred than any of the 
foregoing, and the large, coarse, light colored skins from 
the valley of the Yenesei are the poorest of the Siberian 
Sables. The Chinese Sables from the Altai Mountains, 
Afghanistan and Turkestan are only fit for blending. 
The Hudson's Bay Sable, which is the Brown Marten of 
the zoologists, and the American Marten of the Euro- 

51 



pean skin dealers, is as its name indicates principally- 
restricted to the Hudson's Bay country; the finest skins 
coming from the East Main and Fort George districts 
of that section. The Labrador Marten and the Alaska 
Marten are local varieties of this species. On the av- 
erage 125,000 Brown Martens are trapped annually, but 
at regular intervals of ten years there are periods of 
scarcity when the catch falls off about one-half. The 
annual catch of Sables is as follows: Siberian, 70,000; 
Chinese, 20,000; Japanese (Sakhalin Island), 5,000. (For 
Tartar Sables see Kolinsky.) 

SAGUI. (See Saki.) 

SAI. The South American Howling Monkey. 

SAKI. A South American fox-tailed Monke>. 

SALZEFELLE. Salted Half Persians. 

SANG YANG. Chinese for Domestic Goat. 

SAPAJOU. A South American Monkey. 

SARMATION POLECAT. (See Perwitsky.) 

SCHACKAL. German for Jackal. 

SCHAF. German for Sheep. 

SCHLEICHKATZE. German for Linsang. 

SCHMASCHEN. German for Slink Lamb. 

SCHNABELTIER. German for Platybus. 

SCHUPPE. German for Raccoon. 

SCHWEIF-BIBER. German for Nutria. 

SCHWIMMRATTE. German for Beaver Rat. 

SCIACALLI. Spanish for Jackal. 

SEA BEARS.' Fur Seals. 

SEA DOGS. Earless Hair Seals. 

SEA ELEPHANT. An Eared Hair Seal of the Antipodes. 

SEA FOX. (See Raccoon Dog.) 

SEA LEOPARD. An Eared Hair Seal of the Antarctic. 

SEA LIONS. Eared Hair Seals. 

SEA OTTER. Zoologists give the Sea Otter a separate 
genus in the Weasel family, but in general appearance 
and many of its habits it very much resembles the eared 
Seals. It inhabits both coasts of the Northern Pacific, 

52 



its chief haunts on the Asiatic side being found in Kanit- 
chatka, and on the American side in Alaska, the Aleu- 
tian Islands, Vancouver's Island and the shore of the 
continent as far south as Oregon. Most of the 400 skins 
taken annually are secured, however, in tw^o small areas 
of water around Saanach and Chenabours Islands, and 
in the neighborhood of Gray's Harbor, Washington. 

SEALS. There are two distinct families of Seals; the 
earless or True Seals and the Eared Seals. Those 
species having a dense coat of short, soft fur under the 
stiff, long hairs that form the outer covering of both 
families, arc called Fur Seals; and those which do not 
possess this under fur are known as Hair Seals. The 
cubs of the Common and Greenland varieties of Hair 
Seals are called Wool Seals until they lose the wooly 
white coat with which they are born. All the True 
Seals are Hair Seals; and with the exception of the 
Australian, Californian, Hooker's, Northern and Pata- 
gonian Hair Seals, all the Eared Seals are Fur Seals. 
The True Seals arc known as Sea Dogs, the Eared 
Hair Seals as Sea Lions, and the Fur Seals as Sea Bears. 
The Seven different species of Hair Seals are known as 
the Common Seal, Crested Seal, Elephant Seal, Green- 
land Seal, Grey Seal, Leopard Seal, Ringed Seal and 
Weddell's Seal. The Common and the Greenland 
Seal are the two most abundant varieties of the Hair 
Seal. For the first two inonths after it is born the 
Greenland Seal is classed as a "White Coat," then it is 
designated as a "Small Spot" until it is two years old 
when it becomes a "Middling Spot," or "Bedlamite." 
Later in its existence it is called a "Spot" until such time 
as it develops by reason of full coloration into a "Harp." 
The difTerent varieties of Sea Bears or Fur Seals are: 
Alaska, Cape Horn, Copper Island, Lobos Island, North 
West Coast, Robben Island, Shetland or South Sea and 
Victoria. The South Sea Seals have been virtually ex- 
terminated, so that now only a few hundred of these 
skins are secured annually. By agreement between 
the maritime powers, the killing of the male Alaska 
Seals on the Pribilov Islands was for a time restricted 
to less than four thousand a year, and the pelagic sealing 
by which the females of this species, known as North 
West Coast or Victoria Seals, were secured was entirely 
discontinued. The seal killing on Copper Island and 
the Lobos Islands, was also limited by govern- 
ment restrictions, so for some years the total annual 

53 



production of Fur Seals has not exceeded 20,000 skins. 
The annual catch of Hair Seals is from 300,000 to 500,- 
000 skins. Formerly the Seals killed on the Pribilov 
Islands were shipped across the American Continent to 
London, where they were dressed and dyed and in many 
cases sold to American furriers to be brought back to 
the United States and Canada as an English product. 
Now they are dressed and dyed and sold in St. Louis, 
and to-day Alaska Seals are in every sense of the word 
a "Made in the United States" product. Prior to 1910, 
the Government sold the sealing privileges on the Pribi- 
lov Islands to private corporations, who made immense 
fortunes out of their leases; but when the lease of the 
North American Commercial Company expired on De- 
cember 31, 1909, the Government took over the man- 
agement of its own business at the seal rookeries on the 
islands. At that time, the Northern Fur Seal herds, 
which in 1847 numbered over 4,000,000 animals, had been 
reduced to less than 200,000; and to save the Northern 
Seals from extermination the negotiations were entered 
into, which resulted in the signing of the treaty on 
July 7, 1909; by which the Governments of the United 
States, Great Britain, Russia and Japan agreed to co- 
operate in the prevention of pelagic sealing for a period 
of fifteen years; and the following year a bill was 
passed by Congress providing for the limitation of land 
sealing, for a period of five years, to the number of 
animals required to supply food and clothing for the 
natives on the islands. The wisdom of these protective 
measures is proved by the fact, that a census of the 
herd taken on the Pribilov Islands in 1919, showed 525,- 
000 animals of both sexes, without taking into account 
the 24,000 killed just before the taking of the census. 
The Government has as yet given no intimation of the 
number of Seals that will be killed in 1920, but from 
the foregoing figures, it is safe to say that no less than 
40,000 Alaska Sealskins will be offered for sale by the 
United States Government in 1921. 

SEEDRACH. Native name for Sea Otter. 

SEEFUCHS. German for Raccoon Dog. 

SEEHUND. German for Hair Seal. 

SEELOEWE. German for Eared Hair Seals. 

SEIDENAFFE. German for Marmoset. 

54 



SERVAL. There are several distinct species of this ani- 
mal in different parts of Asia and Africa. The type 
species, sometimes called the African Tiger Cat, is con- 
fined to Algiers and other parts of Southern Africa. 
The Cape Serval and other species found in India and 
Western Africa are somewhat smaller animals than the 
Tiger Cat. 

SHA. A Wild Sheep of Asia. 

SHANTUNG WEASEL. (See Chinese Mink.) 

SHEEP. No animal is of greater service to mankind 
than the sheep, but with the exception of a few species 
the matured sheep cannot be considered as fur bearers. 
Even the Arabi and Karacule Sheep to which the so- 
called Persians and other valuable tight curl lambs owe 
their origin, have no fur value when full grown, although 
they are highly esteemed by fur traders as the pro- 
ducers of fur bearing lambs. 

SHENTIFUS. Inferior grade Thibet Lamb skins. 

SHI SHINGS. Finest Thibet Lamb skins. 

SHREW. An unimportant variety of Field Mouse. 

SIBERIAN MINK. (See Kolinsky.) 

SIEBENSCHLAFER. German name for Dormouse. 

SIFFLUER. (See Marmot.) 

SIKAOS. Finest Chinese Goat rugs. 

SINGE. French for Monkey. 

SIRE. Male parent animal of the Horse kind. 

SKINK. An old English name for the Lesser Skunk. 

SKUNK. The Skunk is the American representative of 
the Polecat group of the Weasel family, and is the 
most important member of that group commercially, 
over 1,500,000 skunk skins being marketed annually. The 
principal habitat of the Skunk is in the United States, 
east of the Mississippi River, and in the provinces of 
Ontario and Quebec, Canada. Different species are, 
however, found in other parts of the North American 
Continent, and also in Mexico and Central and South 

55 



America. Wisconsin, Minnesota, Dakota and Northern 
Iowa Skunks are the most valuable, because they com- 
bine size with quality, but the finest furred skins come 
from Northern New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michi- 
gan, Illinois, New England and Canada. Those from 
New Jersey Central Pennsylvania and Ohio, West 
Virginia, Kansas, Nebraska and Oklahoma are 
also of good quality; and a fair grade of skins is received 
from Indiana, Maryland, Virginia, Northern Kentucky 
and North Carolina. The Nova Scotia, Ontario and 
Quebec Skunks are large, with short white stripes. 
The Little Striped Skunk, classed as the Lesser 
Skunk by the scientists, and for some unaccountable 
reason called the Civet Cat by the furriers, is found on 
the western coast of the North American Continent, 
from Honduras to Oregon, and in the Eastern part of 
the United States as far north as Virginia. It is smaller 
than the Common Skunk and not as valuable. The an- 
nual production is about 200,000 skins. 

SKUNK BEAR. (See Wolverine.) 

SKUNK OPOSSUM. Skunk-dyed Opossum skins. 

SKUNK RACCOON. Skunk-dyed Raccoon skins. 

SLINK LAMB. This is the name given to the skins taken 
from the still-born or very young Lambs of domesti- 
cated varieties of Sheep. These skins are principally 
used for glove and shoe linings. 

SLOTH. A South American animal. 

SNOW LEOPARD. (See Leopards.) 

SNOW-SHOE RABBIT. The far Northern species of 
American Hare. 

SOUTH AMERICAN BEAVER. (See Nutria.) 

SOUTH AMERICAN FISHER. (See Grison.) 

SOW. Grown female of the Hog kind. 

SPERMOPHILE. The only representative of the Ground 
Squirrels that is of commercial value is the uniform- 
colored Suslik of Europe. None of the American va- 
rieties, of which the Thirteen lined Spermophile is the 
most abundant, receive any consideration from the fur- 
riers. This animal is sometimes confounded with the 
Gopher from which it differs in every way. 

56 



SPOT. Name given to the Greenland Seal while it is 
changing color. 

SPOTTED CAT. A general name for many species of 
African, Asiatic and South American Wild Cats. 

SQUASH. An old English name for Skunk. 

SQUIRREL. The common Grey Squirrel of Europe and 
Asia is the type species of its family, and the finest 
furred representative of the Tree Squirrels. The best 
skins come from Russia and Siberia, those from the 
sections East of the Ural Mountains being valued above 
all others for their clear grey color, which in the Ya- 
kutsh and Otkotch district has a rich bluish shade. The 
Russian skins from the Kargapol district are also a 
clear dark grey, but the Kasan skins are lighter and 
have more or less of the reddish cast which is charac- 
teristic of many of the European Squirrels, and is always 
seen in the Chickeree, more generally known as the 
North American Red Squirrel, which is of little value 
commercially. China supplies a very good grade of 
Squirrels, and some fine dark skins are received from 
Japan. Previous to the world war most of the many 
millions of European and Asiatic Squirrels were dressed 
in Russia and in Germany, but at present thej' are 
shipped into this country raw from the different sections 
where they are collected. 

STALLION. A seed or stock Horse. 

STEINBOCK. German for Ibex. 

STEINMARDER. German for Stone Marten. 

STINCKDACHS. German name for Palmi and the Ja- 
vanese Badger. 

STOAT. (See Ermine.) 

STUD. A collection of breeding horses and marcs; or 

the place where they are kept. 
SUMPFOTTER. German for European or Russian Mink. 

SUSLIK. There are a number of different species of 
Spermophiles in Europe, Asia Minor and Northern Asia, 
but the Common Suslik, confined to Russia, Austria- 
Hungary, Poland and Germany is the only variety used 
by furriers. 

SWAMP LYNX. (See Chause.) 

57 



SYAGUSH. The Persian Red Lynx or Caracal. 

SZE HUE. Chinese for Badger. 

TAIRA or TYRA. The South American Weasel, some- 
times called Orison and Hyara or South American 
Fisher. 

TALAPOIN. A green, white and yellow-haired Monkey 
of Africa. 

TALPI. Spanish for Mole. 

TAMARIN. South American name for the Marmoset 

Monkey. 

TAN PIH. Chinese name for Thibet Lamb skins. 

TANREC. Small animal of Madagascar, resembling the 
Hedge-hog. 

TANUKL Japanese for Raccoon Dog. 

TAPETL A Brazilian species of Rabbit. 

TAPIR, This animal is often spoken of as the ancestor 
of the Horse. It is now restricted to the forest regions 
of the Andes Mountains, with the exception of one 
species found on the Malayan Peninsula. " 

TARPAN. A wild Horse of Asia. 

TARSIER. A small nocturnal Lemur that inhabits Bor- 
neo, Celebes, Sumatro and other Islands. 

TARTAR SABLE. (See Kolinsky.) 

TASMANIAN DEVIL. A wild untameable member of 
the Dasyure family, that resembles the Badger in form 
and the Bear in the texture of its deep dark fur. 

TASMANIAN WOLF. This animal has been extermin- 
ated in Australia by the Dingo, but it still exists in 
Tasmania. It is about the size of the Dingo, a:nd the 
dark transverse stripes on its reddish grey back give it 
a handsome appearance. Its habits fully justify the 
Germans in calling it the Raubbeutler or pouched rob- 
ber. 

TAUPE FOX. A dyed Red Fox. 

TEH MAO. Chinese for Wild Cat. 

TEJON. Spanish for Badger. 

TELADU. The Malayan Badger. 

58 



TEN. Native name for Japanese Marten or Sable. 

TENERA. Spanish for Calf. 

TENRAC. (See Tanrec.) 

THA. Chinese for Otter. 

THIBET. (See Lamb-Tibet.) 

THOUS. An animal said to be the connecting link be- 
tween the wolves and the jackals. 

TIENTSINS. A name given the second grade of Chow 
Dogs. 

TIGER. The two marked and distinct species of this ani- 
mal are the short-haired Bengal Tiger of India, and the 
longer-furred Mongolian Tiger of China. The Hima- 
layan, Malayan, Corean and other heavy-furred Tigers 
are local varieties of the Mongolian Tiger rather than 
separate species. The Bengal Tiger is the smaller and 
most numerous of the two species, and can be distin- 
guished from all other varieties by its short close-lying 
hair and the brightness of its markings. The general 
body color of the Tiger is a rich, reddish yellow or 
brown, relieved by transverse bright black stripes; but 
white Tigers with light brown stripes are sometimes 
seen, and are as beautiful as they are rare. About 500 
Tigers are killed annually. 

TIGER CATS. (See Cats.) 

TIGERILTIS. German for Perwitsky. 

TIGERKATZE. German for Tiger Cat. 

TIMBER WOLF. (See Wolves.) 

TITE. A Brazilian Monkey. 

TOPO. Spanish for Mole. 

TRACKER. (See Ichneumon.) 

TRAGON. Spanish for Glutton or Wolverine. 

TREE SQUIRRELS. The True Squirrels. 

TREIBEL. Native name for raw Astrachan skins. 

TROGLODITA. Spanish for Chimpanzee. 

TUNG CHOWS. Medium grade Thibet Lamb Skins. 

TUPFELKATZE. German name for all Leopard or Oce- 
lot-like Cats. 

59 



TURC. French name for Kit Fox. 

TURON. Spanish for Lemming. 

UNAN. Spanish for Bison. 

UNAU. The smallest species of Sloth.. 

URIEL. A Wild Sheep of Punjab, Asia. 

URO. Spanish for Aurochs. 

URUS. The Bison. 

VAGO. Spanish for Squirrel. 

VARL This is the largest of the Madagascar Lemurs. It 
can easily be distinguished from other members of its 
family by a ruff of very long hairs about its neck. 

VEAU MARINE. French for Hair Seal. 

VERRACO. Spanish for Mouflon. 

VERVET. A small African Monkey. 

VESO. Spanish for Fitch. 

VESO-TIGRE. Spanish for Perwitsky. 

VICUNA. This animal is often called the Vicuna Sheep, 
but it is a South American member of the Camel family. 
Its range is on the plateaus of the mountains in Peru 
and Bolivia. About 20,000 of the skins of young Vicunas 
are worked up into robes annually. 

VIELFRASS. German for Wolverine. 

VISCACHA. This is the largest member of the Chin- 
chilla family and the least important commercially. Its 
principal habitat is the pampas of Argentina where the 
Viscachas live in villages of about fifteen burrows each. 
Every burrow contains about twenty of the animals. 

VISON. French for Mink. 

VISONL Spanish for Mink. 

VIVERIENHUND. German for Raccoon Dog. 

VOLE. A Water Rat of France and England which 
closely resembles the Muskrat in form and habits. 

VOLPI. Spanish for Wolf. 

60 



WAH or CHITWAH. Chinese for Panda. 

WALLABY. The yellow-tinged Rock Wallaby of 

Southern Australia, of which about 300,000 skins are 
exported annually, is the finest-furred animal of its spe- 
cies, and the one oftenest seen in captivity; but the 
brownish Bush Wallaby of New South Wales and Vic- 
toria is more valuable because of its greater size, and 
is the variety used by furriers as a substitute for Rac- 
coon. The largest and type representative of the family 
is the black Swamp Wallaby, of which about 200,000 are 
used each year, many of the skins being dyed Skunk 
color. The Wallabies are sometimes called Field Kan- 
garoos, but with the exception of the Rock Wallaby 
none of them live in the open fields; the other species 
as is indicated by their names keeping to the swamps 
and bushes. 

WALLEROO. The smallest member of the Kangaroo 
family. 

WALRUS. The only Carnivcrous Pinniped except the 
Seals. 

WAPITI. This animal is often erroneously called the 
Elk. It is the largest Deer on the globe, and exists 
only in North America, where at one time it ranged 
all over the continent, but now it is seldom seen any- 
where except in Washington, Oregon, California, Mon- 
tana and Wyoming, and on Vancouver's Island. 

WASCHBAR. German for Raccoon. 

WEASEL. The range of the Common Weasel is world 
wide. Its color not only varies in different localities, but 
in many sections it changes with the season. Hun- 
dreds of thousands of pure White Weasels from all 
parts of the world are sold as Erinines, and the Ermine 
is rightly designated as the Greater Weasel by the 
scientists, and the name Stoat is applied by them to both 
the common and greater weasels, which clearly indi- 
cates that all White Weasels of every section should be 
considered as varieties of Ermine. The yellow Shan- 
tung Weasel is known as the Chinese Mink, 

WEEMUSK. Cree Indian name for Prairie Dog. 

WHELP. The young of beasts of prey or wild dogs. 

WHITE COAT. Cub of the Greenland Seal. 

61 



WHO LONG. Chinese name for Shantung Weasel. 

WICKELBAR. German name for Kinkajou. 

WIESEL. German name for Weasel. 

WILD CAT. Strictly speaking this title belongs to the 
grey European Wild Cat and allied species in different 
parts of the world ,but it is sometimes used to designate 
the Bay Lynx, and is also applied to different groups of 
Wild Cats. 

WILDEBEEST. (See Gnu.) 

WILDKATZE. German for Wild Cat. 

WISENT. German for European Bison. 

WISH-TON-WISH. (See Prairie Dog.) 

WOLLMAUS, German for Chinchilla. 

WOLVERINE. This animal, sometimes called the Skunk 
Bear, is placed by scientists in the Weasel family, and is 
identical with the European Glutton. It is called Viel- 
frass by the Germans, Glutton by the French, Carcajou 
by the French-Canadians, and Quick Hatch by the Eng- 
lish. It inhabits the Northern regions of both hemi- 
spheres, and is most numerous in the Hudson's Bay 
country of North America. The darkest specimens are 
found in the glacial sections of the Eastern Hemisphere. 
The common Glutton or Kossomak of Russia is a deep 
maionne color, with a darker disc; in fact all European 
and Siberian skins, except those from Kamschatka, which 
are large coarse and light, are darker in color and 
smaller in size than those from North America. The 
annual production from America is about 3,000 skins, 
and from Europe and Siberia about 1,000. 

WOLVES. There are many varieties of Wolves in dif- 
ferent parts of the world, but only a few distinct spe- 
cies. The Common Wolf of Europe and Asia; the Rus- 
sian Wolf, known as the Black Wolf because of the long 
black top hairs that cover the under fur; the light color- 
ed Siberian Wolf; the white Churchill Wolf, which is 
the largest representative of its family; the Brown Wolf 
of the Western section of the United States; the Grey 
Timber Wolf of North America; and the other white 
and black wolves now classed as belonging to separate 
species, are so alike in form and habits that they could 

62 



all be properly placed in one species; variations in size 
and color and the texture of the fur being accounted for 
by climatic influences, and the different conditions under 
which they exist. The Chinese, Japanese, East Indian, 
and South x\merican Wolves, with the single exception 
of the Maned Wolf, all approximate the North Amer- 
ican Coyote or Prairie Wolf in size and form, but are 
of little value commercially, although the fuller and 
finer skins of the Coyote are always in demand. Most 
of the varieties of the American Timber Wolf are larger 
and stouter, and have finer, denser and longer fur than 
any of their European or Asiatic prototypes. The coarse 
haired Alaska Wolf being the only exception. The Si- 
berian Wolf approaches the nearest in size, and the 
Russian Wolf approximates the closest in color, to the 
American Wolves. The annual production of Wolf 
skins is as follows: Common Wolves, 150,000; Russian 
Wolves, 140,000; Siberian Wolves, 20,000; North Amer- 
ican Timber Wolves, 10,000; North American Coyotes, 
40,000; and Coyote-like skins from other parts of the 
world, 15,000. 

WOMBAT. This animal is often called the Australian 
Badger. It is entirely different in habits and appearance 
from the Kaola, although its skins are sometimes listed 
by dealers as Australian Bears, and even among zoolo- 
gists there seems to be a doubt as to the proper rela- 
tionship of these animals one to the other. The con- 
fusion is probably due to the similarity of their fur. 
The annual production of Wombat skins is any where 
from 250,000 to 500,000. 

WOODCHUCK. The American Marmot. 

WOOL SEALS. Cubs of the Common and Greenland 
Seals. 

WiJSTENFUCHS. German for Desert Fox. 

WUSTENLUCHS. German for Caracal. 

WUYCHOCHOL. The Russian Desman. 

YAGUARONDL Spanish for Jaguarondi. 

YAK. The Wild Ox of Tibet. The domesticated stock of 
this animal known as the Grunting Ox is of great value 
to the natives, supplying them with milk, butter and 
beef for food, and long silky hair for fabrics. It is also 
used as a beast of burden. 

63 



YA MAO. Chinese for Civet Cat. 

YETTE. The skin of the still-born Calf. 

ZEBRA. The wildest and most beautiful of African 
cloven-footed animals. 

ZEBU. A Barbary Goat. 

ZEBUT. A variety of Civet. 

ZIBELLINE. French for Sable. 

ZICICLE. German name for Chinese Kid skins. 

ZIEGEN. German for Goats. 

ZIESEL. German for Spermophile. 

ZOBEL. German for Sable. 

ZORILLA. The Cape Skunk of South Africa. It re- 
sembles the little striped skunk in its markings, but is a 
much larger animal. Allied species of the Cape Skunk 
are seen in different parts of Africa, but the skins of 
these animals arc seldom met with in commerce. 



64 



PROTECTION AND PROPAGATION OF FUR- 
BEARING ANIMALS. 

The Government reports show that the supply of peltries 
is decreasing at an alarming rate. It is rightly claimed 
that, with no more virgin trapping grounds to turn to for 
new_ sources of supply, the only way skins can be kept 
coming to the market, year by year, in sufficient quanti- 
ties to insure the trappers and traders satisfactory returns 
at reasonable prices, and profitable steady employment to 
the niany people engaged in the various branches of the 
fur industry, is to strictly enforce the laws enacted for 
the protection of the different fur-bearing animals and the 
prevention of traffic in unprime skins. 

Indiscriminate slaughter caused the extermination of 
the southern fur seals; and the northern herds would 
have suffered the same fate, but for the timely protection 
afforded them by the treaty of 1911 and the restrictive 
legislation passed by Congress the following year. Since 
that time twenty-two states and eight Canadian provinces 
have found it necessary to give the beaver a chance to 
recover lost ground by extended close seasons; and in 
Alaska and several of the other states and some of the 
provinces the marten has been accorded the same pro- 
tection. 

At the present time there are only two Federal laws 
bearing on the fur industry of the United States. One is 
the Lacey law, which makes it unlawful to ship out of a 
state skins or pelts illegally taken, and which requires 
that when packages containing furs are shipped in inter- 
state commerce, they shall be plainly marked so that the 
nature of the contents, and the name and address of the 
shipper, can be readily ascertained by an inspection of 
the outside of the package. The other Federal law is 
the Tariff Act of 1913, which provides that raw furs, not 
advanced in manufacture, shall be admitted into the coun- 
try free, but places a duty of ten per cent, ad valorum on 
live animals shipped into the states, unless they are im- 
ported by a citizen of the United States for breeding pur- 
poses, when they are admitted free, if the animals are pure 
bred, and duly registered in a book provided by the Secre- 
tary of Agriculture for that purpose. 

A summary of the local provisions for open and close 
seasons in the different States and Provinces follows: 

65 



ALABAMA. Beaver, otter, bear, fox, raccoon, opossum, 
mink and muskrat, may be trapped from November 1 to 
March 1. Opossum may be hunted with dog and gun, 
from October 25 to March 1. 

Propagation. No legislation. 

Bounties. None paid. 

ALASKA. Open season for land otter and mink, 
November 16 to March 31; fox and weasel, Novem- 
ber 16 to March 14; muskrat, December 1 to May 
31; lynx and wildcat, November 16 to February 29; 
brown bear, south of latitude 62; October 1 to July 
1; north of latitude 62, no close season; sea lions 
and walrus, south of latitude 62, no open season; 
north of latitude 62, August 1 to December 10, limit one 
each to a season. Close season on marten, until Novem- 
ber 15, 1921, on sea otter, until November 1, 1920; ,pn 
beaver, until November 1, 1923, no close season on 
black bear, wolf, wolverine, ground squirrel or rabbit. 
The fur seal fisheries on the Aleutian Islands Reserva- 
tion and the Afignak Reservation are subject to special 
legislative and administrative control. Trapping of any 
kind on the Aleutian Island Reservation may only be 
done by special permit; there is no open season. 

Propagation. Owners of breeding establishments 
subject to same restrictions as trappers; must allow 
agents of government bureau free access to establish- 
ment. Permit required within the Aleutian Islands 
Reservation. 

Bounties. Wolf, $15. 

ARIZONA. Beaver protected until December 31, 1922. 
No close season on other animals. 

Propagation. Permit required. 

Bounties. Counties must pay $10, for wolf or moun- 
tain lion; and may pay $2, for coyote; $1, for lynx or 
wildcat; 25 cents, for raccoon; and 5 cents for jack rab- 
bit, prairie dog, or gopher. 

ARKANSAS. Open season on all fur animals, except 
beaver, otter, and bear, October 1 to February 29; on 
bear, November 10 to January 15; (limit one to a sea- 
son). No open season on beaver and otter until Jan- 
uary 1, 1922. Raw skins can only be possessed or 
sold from October 1 to March 15. 

Propagation. Permits required; subject to open and 
close season provisions. 

Bounties. County courts may offer bounty for wolf, 
wildcat, or panther. 

66 



CALIFORNIA. No open season for beaver or sea otter. 
Open season for black or brown bear, ring tail cat, 
raccoon, pine marten, fisher, wolverine, mink, skunk, 
river otter and fox, October 15 to February 29. Seals 
and sea lions are protected at all times in game district 
nineteen. 

Propagation. No legislation. 

Botmties. Mountain lion, female, $30; male, $20; paid 
by state game commissioner. Counties may fix rate 
and pay bounty on coyote, wildcat, fox, lynx, bear or 
mountain lion. 

COLORADO. No closed season on any fur animals, ex- 
cept beaver, which is protected at all times unless killed 
under a permit from the state game and fish com- 
missioner, to save property from damage. 

Propagation. No restrictions, except beaver and 
game animals. 

Bounties. None paid by state since 1895. County 
commissioners may levy tax to pay bounty. 

CONNECTICUT. Open season for otter, November 1 
to March 31; raccoon, October 16 to January 31; skunk, 
November 1 to January 31. No close season on other 
fur animals. Skunks may be taken at any time to pro- 
tect property. 

Propagation. No restrictions. 

Bounties. Towns are permitted to pay $5, for wild- 
cat or fox; weasel, woodchuck or rabbit, $1. 

DELAWARE. Open season for skunk, mink and otter, 
December 1 to March 25; fox, October 1 to April 30; 
raccoon and opossum, October 1 to January 1; muskrat, 
December 1 to March 10. 

Propagation. Permit required ($1). 

Bounties. None paid. 

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA. No legislation. 

FLORIDA. Open season for beaver and otter, Novem- 
ber 1 to January 31. No close season on other fur 
animals. 

Propagation. No legislation. 

Bounties. None paid. 

GEORGIA. Open season for opossum, October 1 to 
February 29; fox, Habersham county, September 1 to 
May 14. No close season on other fur animals. 

Propagation. No restrictions. 

Bounties. None paid. 

HAWAII. Hawaii has no wild furbearing animals. 

67 



IDAHO. Open season for beaver, otter, marten, mink, 
muskrat, raccoon, fox, and fisher, October 1 to March 
31. No close season, on bear, mountain lion, wolf, 
coyote, lynx, bobcat, jack rabbit, skunk and weasel. 
In the Black Lake Game Preserve, all animals except 
the mountain lion, bear, wolf, coyote and wildcat are 
protected at all times, and the predatory animals may 
only be destroyed by the game warden or duly au- 
thorized persons. 

Propagation. Permit required. 

Bounties. Coyote, lynx, or wildcat, $2.50; bear or 
wolf, $10; mountain lion, $25; paid by state live stock 
sanitary board. 

ILLINOIS. Open season for raccoon, mink, muskrat, 
skunk, opossum, fox and otter, November 1 to March 
15. Possession of green hides of fur bearing animals, 
permitted only from November 1 to March 25. 

Propagation. Permit required, ($2). 

Bounties. None paid by state. Counties may at 
their discretion pay bounty on ground hog. 

INDIANA. Open season for beaver, racoon, fox, otter, 
opossum, and skunk, November 20 to February 1; mink 
and muskrat, November 1 to March 31. Muskrat houses 
are protected at all times, except when obstructing 
ditches or water courses. 

Propagation. All animals raised in captivity are con- 
sidered domestic stock, and subject to no restrictions. 

Bounties. County Commissioners may at their dis- 
cretion pay bounty on wolf, fox or woodchuck. 

IOWA. Open season for beaver, mink, otter and musk- 
rat, November 15th to March I5th; and they may be 
destroyed at any time to protect public or private 
property. Muskrat houses are protected at all times. 
Possession of beaver, otter, mink or muskrat skins is 
lawful only during open season, and the first five days 
of closed season. 

Propagation. No restriction. 

Bounties. Wolf, $20, wolf cub, $4; wildcat, $1; paid 
by County. 

KANSAS. Open season for muskrat, skunk, mink, rac- 
coon, opossum and civet cat, November 15th. to March 
15th. No open season for beaver or otter until 1921. 
Propagation. No legislation. 

Bounties. Coyote, $1; wolf, $5; gopher, 5 cents; 
paid by County. 

68 



KENTUCKY. Open season for beaver, mink, raccoon, 

otter, opossum and skunk, November 15 to December 
31; but raccoon, opossum, skunk and mink, may be 
taken and killed by dog or gun, October 1 to February 
15. Fur animals may be killed at any time by owner on 
his own premises to protect property. 

Propagation. No legislation. 

Bounties. None paid. 

LOUISIANA. Open season for bear, November 1 to 
February 15 (trapping not allowed); muskrat, mink 
otter, raccoon, skunk, fox and opossum, November 1 to 
February 13; no open season for beaver. 

Propagation. Permit required. Fur animals may not 
be captured for breeding purposes during the close 
season. 

Bounties. None paid. 

MAINE. Open season for muskrat, October 15 to May 
14; raccoon, August 15 to February 29; no open season 
for beaver except when declared by the commissioner 
of inland fisheries and game, and it is unlawful to 
transport or dispose of a beaver skin without the official 
seal of the commissioner attached. No close season on 
bear, bobcat, Canada lynx or weasel. Open season for 
all other fur animals, October 15 to February 29. 

Propagation. Permit required, ($2). 

Bounties. Bobcat and Canada lynx, $10 each; bears, 
$5 each; paid by state. 

MARYLAND. Local laws providing protection for fur 
animals, and regulating their capture, are in force in 
the different counties of the State. In most cases the 
open seasons begin December 1, but in some instances, 
the close season holds till January 1. 

Propagation. No legislation. 

Bounties. On wildcat, $2; fox, $1; paid in Alleghany 
and Frederick counties. 

MASSACHUSETTS. Open season for raccoon, October 
1 to December 31. No close season on other fur 
animals. 

Propagation. No legislation. 

Bounties. Seals, $2; Wildcat or lynx, $5; paid by 
town. 

MICHIGAN. Open season on beaver (under special 
license), November 1 to April 15; otter, mink, fisher and 
marten, November 16 to February 14; raccoon, October 
15 to December 31; muskrat, north of Range 20 north, 

69 



October 16 to April 14; south of Range 21 north, De- 
cember 16 to March 31. No close season on skunk, bear, 
wolf, coyote, fox, lynx, and wildcat. There is no open 
season for badger, beaver, and muskrat, in or within two 
miles of any city park containing over two hundred 
acres, of which one hundred and fifty acres or more is 
woodland. 

Propagation. Annual license required. Live animals 
and skins must be tagged. 

Bounties. Wolf and coyote, $35; cubs, $15; lynx or 
wildcat, $5; weasel or woodchuck, 50 cents; paid by 
county. 

MINNESOTA. Open season for raccoon, October 15 to 
March 1; mink, fisher, marten and muskrat, December 1 
to April 1; black bear, skunk, weasel, lynx, wildcat, and 
fox, are unprotected at all times. No open season for 
beaver or otter, but the commissioner may issue licenses 
to trap a limited number of beavers in any locality, and 
the skins may be bought, sold or transported at any 
time if tagged with the $3 tag provided for such cases. 
Propagation. Wild animals raised in capitivity under 
a permit may be sold at any time for breeding purposes, 
and under regulation of the Commissioner, wild animals 
may be captured in open season for breeding purposes. 
Bounties. Wolf, $7.50; cub wolf, $3; paid by state. 
County or town boards may offer additional bounties on 
wolf, g_opher or ground hog. 

MISSISSIPPI. Open season for bear, November 1 to 
February 29. 

Propagation. No legislation. 
Bounties. None paid. 

MISSOURI. Open season for all fur-bearing animals 
November 1 to January 31. Wild fur-bearing animals 
may be destroyed at any time, and in any way, to pro- 
tect premises from depredations, and pelts of animals 
so killed may be removed and marketed in the usual 
way. It is unlawful to offer for sale pelts of animals 
taken out of season. 

Propagation. Permits required ($5). 

Bounties. Wolf or coyote, $6; cubs, $3; paid by 
County. 

MONTANA. Open season for marten, September 15 to 
May 1. Beaver may be taken only under a license; but 
taxpayers, owners of real estate, or their authorized 
agents, may kill beaver on their own premises for the 
protection of their ditches, dams etc; and the skins of 

70 



such animals may be sold under permit from the game 
warden. 

Propagation. No legislation. 

Bounties. Wolf, $15; wolf pup or coyote, $2.50; 
mountain lion, $10; paid by state. 

NEBRASKA. Open season for muskrat, opossum and 
otter, November 20 to March 20; Skunk and raccoon, 
September 20 to March 20; mink, December 1 to Jan- 
uary 31. No open season on beaver, but permits for 
their destruction if they are damaging property, may 
be obtained from the chief deputy game and fish com- 
missioner. No close season on any other fur bearing 
animals. 

Propagation. No legislation. 

Bounties. Some counties pay for wolf, $30; wildcat 
or coyote $1; mountain lion $3. 

NEVADA, No close season except on beaver, which 
was protected until January 1, 1920. 
Propagation. License required ($10). 
Bounties. Mountain lion, $5; lynx and wildcat, $2; 
gopher, 1.50 per hundred; paid by county. 

NEW HAMPSHIRE. Open season for all fur-bearing 
animals except beaver, November 1 to February 29, 
muskrats, however, may be taken from the waters of 
the Connecticut River from November 1 to March 31. 
No open season for beaver. Raccoons and foxes may be 
taken with dog and gun during October. 

Propagation. Permit required ($2). 

Bounties. Bear $5; Wildcat, $5; hedgehog, 20 cents; 
paid by state. 

NEW JERSEY. Open season for skunk, mink, muskrat, 
and otter, November 15 to April 1; raccoon, October 1 
to December 15. It is unlawful to trap, take, kill or 
have Beaver in possession at any time. 

Propagation. Breeder's license ($5). 

Bounties. Fox, $3; paid by counties. 

NEW MEXICO. No close season on any fur animals, 
except beavers, which are protected at all times; pro- 
vided, when beavers are destroying property they may 
be killed under permit from the game and fish warden. 

Propagation. Permit required. 

Bounties. Wolf, $15; coyote, wildcat or lynx, $2; 
mountain lion, $10; paid from county wild animal fund, 
raised by tax on property. 

71 



NEW YORK. Open season for mink and sable, Novem- 
ber 10 to March 15; raccoon, November 10 to February 
10, but in the Catskill Park, raccoons may be taken 
otherwise than by trapping, from October 1 to March 
15; muskrat; November 10 to April 20; skunk, Novem- 
ber 10 to February 10. No open season for beaver. 

Propagation. License' required ($5). 

Bounties. Panther, $20; none paid by state since 
May, 1884. 

NORTH CAROLINA. More than half of the hundred 
counties in the state have local laws relating to fur 
animals. For information regarding open seasons ad- 
dress the Audubon Society of North Carolina, Raleigh. 

Propagation. No legislation. 

Bounties. None paid. 

NORTH DAKOTA. Open seasons for mink and musk- 
rat, November 16 to April 14; beaver, January 10 to 
March 10, but only by licensed trappers. No open 
season for otter. Possession of green hides of mink 
or muskrat illegal after April 19. 

Propagation. Permit required ($5); and bond, ($500). 

Bounties. Wolf or coyote, $2.50, paid by state. 

OHIO. Open season for raccoon, mink, skunk and opos- 
sum, November 1 to February 1; muskrat, December 1 
to March 1; fox, October 2 to January 1. Protected 
animals may be destroyed on any day but Sunday by 
owner of premises when damaging property. 

Propagation. No restrictions except close season. 

Bounties. Ground hogs, 10 cents each; paid by town- 
ship. 
OKLAHOMA. No open season for otter or beaver. 
Other fur animals may be taken, November 1 to March 
1, except bear in Comanche, Caddo, Kiowa, Major and 
Blaine Counties. 

Propagation. Permit required ($2). 

Bounties. Grey wolf, $3; coyote, $1; paid by county. 

OREGON. Open season for mink, otter, fisher, marten 

and muskrat, November 1 to February 28 inclusive. No 

open season for beaver. No open season on the State 

game preserve. 

Propagation. Permit required ($2). 

Bounties. Coyote or pup, (3); adult female coyote 
$4; wolf, or wolf pup, $2.50; wildcat, or lynx, $2 
mountain lion or cougar, $10; seal or seal pup, $2.50 
paid by county. State pays in addition, $20, for wolf 
and $15 for cougar. 

72 



PENNSYLVANIA. Open season for bear, October 15 to 
December 15; raccoon, September 1 to December 31. No 
open season for beaver. Foxes may not be trapped, 
shot or snared or poisoned in Delaware County. 

Propagation. No restrictions, except license fee of 
$25, to breed ferrets. 

Bounties. Wildcat, $8; fox, $2; weasel, $2; mink, $1; 
paid by state. 

PORTO RICO. Porto Rico has no wild fur-bearing 
animals. 

RHODE ISLAND. Open season for skunk, muskrat, and 
mink, November 1 to April 15; raccoon, November 1 
to February 1. Land owners may kill protected animals 
on their own premises at any time. 
Propagation. No legislation. 

SOUTH CAROLINA. Open season for bear, mink, 
muskrat opossum, otter, raccoon and skunk, October 
1 to March 15; fox, September 1 to February 15. Foxes 
and wild cats may be killed at any time by officers of 
the law, and land owners upon their own holdings. 

Propagation. No legislation. 

Bounties. None paid. 

SOUTH DAKOTA. Open season for mink, muskrat, and 
skunk, from noon December 1 to noon March 1. Otter 
and beaver, no open season. It is unlawful to buy, sell, 
ship or have in possession, raw skins of protected ani- 
mals during closed season. 

Propagation. No restrictions except close season 
provisions. 

Bounties. Wolf, $8; coyote, $4; paid by county. 

TENNESSEE. Open season for fur bearers, off one's 
own land, from noon October 15 to noon January 15. 
Several counties have special local laws. 

Propagation. No legislation. 

Bounties. Wolf or panther ($2); paid by county court 
certificate. 

TEXAS. No close season on fur-bearing animals. 
Propagation. No legislation. 
Bounties. None paid. 

UTAH. Beaver, otter and marten protected at all times. 
No close season on other fur-bearing animals. State 
game and fiish warden may give permit for killing bea- 
vers destroying property, but the skins must be delivered 

7Z 



to the commissioner to be sold; half the proceeds to 
be paid to the trapper and the other half into the game 
fund. 

Propagation. No legislation. 

Bounties. Wolf, $62.50; cougar, $30; coyote, $4; 
lynx or wildcat, $3; paid by state. 

VERMONT. Open season for mink, otter and muskrat, 
November 1 to April 30; marten, raccoon, fisher and 
skunk, October 20 to March 31; fox, October 20 to April 
1. No open season for beaver. Fox may be taken 
otherwise than by trapping at any time. 

Propagation. Permit required ($2.00). 

Bounties. On black bear, taken between May 1 and 
November 1, $10; hedgehog, 15 cents; paid by state. 
Towns pay $5, on bay lynx. 

VIRGINIA. Special legislation permits the trapping of 
fur animals on the land of another from noon, October 
15 to noon January 15, in counties that have adopted 
the State law giving such permission. 

Propagation. License required ($25). 

Bounties. None paid. 

WASHINGTON. Open season for bear, September 1 to 
May 1; and at any other time when found destroying 
domestic animals. No open season for beaver. No 
closed season on other fur animals. 

Propagation. Breeders license required ($10). 

Bounties. Cougar, $20; timber wolf, $15; lynx or 
wildcat, $5; coyote, $1; seal or sea lions in Colum- 
bia River district, $3; paid by state. Counties are per- 
mitted to pay additional rewards for destroying these 
animals; and also bounties on bear, muskrat and squir- 
rel. 

WEST VIRGINIA. Open season for red fox, raccoon, 
mink and skunk, November 1 to February 1. Any 
county may by majority vote provide a perpetual close 
season on skunk. 

Propagation. No restriction except close season pro- 
visions. 

Bounties. Wildcat, $5; paid from forest game and 
fish protection fund. 

WISCONSIN. Open season for beaver in Price, Rusk 
and Sawyer Counties, February 1 to March 31, black 
bear, November 10 to December 1; fisher, marten, 
mink and skunk, November 15 to February 1; 

74 



raccoon, October 15 to January 1 (Except Marathon 
County, August 15 to January 1) bag limit five a day; 
muskrat, in Polk, Baron, Rusk, Price, Lincoln, Langlade, 
Forest, Marinette, Florence, Iron, Oneida, Vilas, Ash- 
land, Washburn, Sawyer, Burnett, Douglas and Bay- 
field Counties; October 25 to April 20; in Calumet, Man- 
itowoc and Sheboygan Counties, March 1, up to April 
15; in remainder of the State October 25 to April 10. 
Beaver and otter are protected at all times, except in 
three counties they may be captured and removed under 
direction of the State conservation coinmission if found 
damaging property. 

Propagation. Permit required. Special license for 
muskrat farming, ($5). 

Bounties. Wolf, $10; wolf cub, $4; fox, $2; paid by 
county. County boards may increase these awards, but 
may not pay more than $6 for killing a wolf cub. The 
state treasurer duplicates all county awards, thus doub- 
ling the above bounties. 

WYOMING. No close season on fur-bearing animals ex- 
cept beavers, which may not be taken at any time until 
March 15, 1925, except under special permit from the 
game warden for damaging property. 

Propagation. No legislation. 

Bounties. None paid. 

ALBERTA, CANADA. Open season for mink, fisher and 
marten, November 1 to March 31; otter and muskrat, 
November 1 to April 30. No open season for beaver 
until December 31, 1920, unless locally by order of the 
lieutenant governor in council. 

Propagation. Manager of fur farms must make semi- 
annual reports, January 1 and July 1. Export of live 
animals only allowed on permit with fees. 

Bounties. Municipality may ofifer bounty on wolves. 

BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA. Open season for 
bear, September 1 to June 30; except that bear may not 
be trapped in that part of the Province Iving south of 
the main line of the Canadian Pacific Railway; fox, 
November 1 to March 15. No open season for beaver. 
All other fur animals, November 1 to April 30. 

Propagation. Permit required. Breeder must keep 
record of transactions for inspection of any game 
warden. 

Bounties. Rates fixed from time to time. 

MANITOBA, CANADA. Open season, south of fifty 
third parallel; fisher, pekan, sable, marten and mink, 

75 



November 1 to March 31. No close season on fox and 
lynx. No open season for beaver or otter. 

Open season north of fifty third parallel; fisher, 
pekan, sable, and marten and mink, November 1 to 
March 31; otter and beaver, November 1 to April 30; 
fox and lynx, November 1 to February 29. It is unlaw- 
ful to shoot or spear muskrats, but they may be trapped 
south of fifty-first parallel, from March 1 to May 15; 
and north of fifty-first parallel, from October 20 to 
November 30; and March 1 to May 15. 

Propagation. No legal restrictions except permit to 
export live fur animals; fee for black or silver fox, 
$100; other foxes, $15; otter, $25; any other fur animal, 
$5. 

Bounties. Timber wolf, $5; other wolf, $2; paid by 
municipality. 

NEW BRUNSWICK, CANADA. Open season for mink, 
otter and fisher, November 1 to March 31; fox, October 
1 to March 1; muskrat, noon March 25 to noon May 
15. Close season on beaver and sable until July 1, 
1920, except by special permit from the Minister of 
Lands and Mines. 

Propagation. Permit required; fee fixed by Minister 
of Lands and Mines. 

Bounties. Wildcat, $3; Porcupine, 50 cents; paid by 
Minister of Lands and Mines. 

NEWFOUNDLAND, CANADA. Open season for ot- 
ter, marten and lynx, October 1 to March 31; fox, Octo- 
ber 16 to March 14; muskrat, October 1 to April 30. No 
open season for beaver until October 1, 1920. 

Propagation. A fox farm must be licensed, and own- 
er must report at stated times. Premises must at all 
times be open to inspection by officers of game and in- 
land fisheries board. Unlawful to export animals with- 
out permit from the colonial board. 

Bounties. None paid. 

NORTHWEST TERRITORIES, CANADA, Open sea- 
son for mink, fisher and marten, November 1 to March 
14; otter, beaver and muskrat, October 1 to May 14; 
white fox, November 15 to March 31. Trapping is pro- 
hibited on Victoria Island. 

Propagation. Permits issued. 

Bounties. Timber wolf, $20. 

NOVA SCOTIA, CANADA. Open season for mink, ot- 
ter, fox, raccoon, muskrat and all other fur-bearing 
animals (except bear, wolf and wildcat, which are not 



protected), November 1 to January 31. No open season 
for beaver and marten. 

Propagation. Permit required; also annual reports 
on Sept. 30. Fee $2 for each kind of animal. Inclosures 
must be protected from trespass. 

Bounties. None paid. 

ONTARIO, CANADA. Open season for mink, fisher and 
marten, November 1 to April 30; muskrat, north of 
French and Mattavva Rivers, April 1 to May 20; south 
of said rivers, March 1 to April 20. Beavers and otters 
may be taken only by residents of the Province, under 
license and special restrictions, November 1 to March 
31. 

Propagation. Permit required. Breeder may sell live 
animals or skins during open season, upon payment of 
royalties. 

Bounties. Grey timber wolf, $20; other wolf, $5; paid 
by county. 

PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND, CANADA, Open season 
for marten, mink, muskrat and otter, November 1 to 
March 31. No open season for beaver, and these animals 
or their pelts taken in the Province may not be sold. 

Propagation. Regulated by special acts of the Pro- 
vincial legislature; animals are assessed for taxation; in- 
comes from ranches are taxed; ranches are protected 
from trespass. 
Bounties. None paid. 

QUEBEC, CANADA. Open season for mink, marten, 
otter, fisher, raccoon, skunk, or any other fur-bearing 
animal not otherwise provided for, November 1 to 
March 31; beaver, November 1 to March 31; muskrat, 
March 15 to April 3; fox, November 1 to February 29; 
bear August 20 to June 30. 

Propagation. Permits granted to non-residents upon 
payment of fee, $5 to $25. 

Bounties. Wolf, $15. 

SASKATCHEWAN, CANADA. Open season for mink, 
fisher and marten, November 1 to March 31; otter and 
muskrat, November 1 to April 30; fox, north of town- 
ship 50, November 1 to March 31; Beaver, December 1 
to April 30 (Except on game preserves and where pro- 
tected by the municipality). 

Propagation. Permit to operate ranch, $1 annually. 
Permit to ship live fur animals also required; fee for 

n 



black or silver fox, $25; for Cross or red fox, $5; for 
other fur animals, $5. 

Bounties. Timber wolf, $10; pups of prairie or timber 
woli, $1, 

Bounties. Fox, $3; paid by state. 

YUKON, CANADA. Beaver protected at all times No 
close season on any other fur-bearing animal except 
young foxes, which may not be taken from April 1 to 
Alay 31. It is unlawful to export raw furs from the 
terntoryat any time, except upon permit issued by the 
commissioner, upon payment of export tax. 

Propagation. Registration of fox breeders required 
No other restriction. Fee for exporting fox born in cap« 
tivity, $5. Ranches protected from trespass, if posted. 
Bounties. None paid. 



''8 



MISCELLANEOUS INFORMATION 



RELATIVE DURABILITY AND WEIGHT OF DIF- 
FERENT FURS. 
(From "The Fur-Traders and Fur-Bearing Animals.") 

The life of furs can now be so prolonged by dry cold 
storage, which not only protects them from moths, but 
prevents the change of color and deterioration that for- 
merly resulted from the evaporation in high temperatures 
of the oils in the skin and hairs, that the durability of 
a fur must be considered as well as its cost in determin- 
ing its real value. 

Taking the Otter at one hundred as the standard of 
value, the relative durability of some of the best known 
furs is shown in the following table, which also gives 
the weight in ounces, per square foot, of the skins listed: 

Astrachan — Moire 10 3 

Beaver — Natural 90 4 

—Plucked 85 3"% 

Bear— Black or Brown 94 7 

Chinchilla 15 1% 

Civet Cat 40 2^ 

Coney 20 3 

Ermine 25 1% 

Fox— Natural 40 3 

—Dyed Black 25 3 

—Dyed Blue 20 3 

Genet 35 2^4 

Goat 15 4% 

Hare 5 2^4 

Istatsi (Jap Mink) 20 3 

Jackal 27 AVz 

Kaola 12 4 

Kolinsky 25 3 

Krimmer 60 . 3 

Leopard 75 4 

Lynx 25 3^ 

Marmot 20 3 

Marmot — Dyed 20 3 

Marten — Baum 65 2^4 

— Baum Dyed 45 2^ 

Marten — Stone 45 2% 

—Stone Dyed 35 2% 

Mink— Natural 70 3% 

Mink— Dyed 35 3^/4 

80 



Mole ■- 7 m 

Muskrat — Natural 45 3V4 

—Seal 33 3% 

Nutria— Plucked 25 3% 

—Natural 50 4 

Otter— Natural 100 4% 

—Plucked 95 3% 

—Dyed 75 . 4 

Opossum — American 37 3 

-Dyed 20 3 

— Australian 40 3V2 

Persian ; 65 3% 

Poney — Russian 45 3^/^ 

Rabbit 5 2% 

Raccoon — Natural 65 4V2 

—Dyed 50 • 41/2 

Sable— Natural 60 21/2 

—Dyed 45 2% 

Skunk— Natural 70 2^ 

—Tipped 50 2% 

Seal— (Hair) 80 3 

—Dyed 75 3^4 

Seal— (Fur) 80 3y2 

—Dyed 70 SVs 

Squirrel — Natural 25 1^ 

—Dyed 20 lYs 

Sea Otter 90 3V2 

Wolf— Natural 50 6y2 

—Dyed 30 6^4 

Wolverine 70 7 

The foregoing figures refer to skins worked up into 
small furs or garments with the fur outside. In estimat- 
ing the wearing quality of linings for women's wraps, the 
sable gills, which weigh two ounces to the square foot, 
and have considerably less strength than unplucked otter 
fur, are taken as the standard at one hundred. The rela- 
tive durability and weight of other linings follows: 

Coney - 40 3 

Ermine 57 W2 

Fox— White 50 3 

Hamster 10 1% 

Kit Rat 60 3 

Sable — Skins 85 2% 

—Head 65 ^ 

Squirrel— Back 5.0 1^ 

—Belly 20 P^ 

—Head 35 2^ 

81 





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85 



Extracts From 
'THE FUR-TRADERS AND FUR-BEARING 
ANIMALS." 

By Marcus Petersen. 



SIZE, COLOR AND QUALITY. 

Wild animals, like human beings, seem to develop best 
where they are obliged to put forth some eflfort to procure 
the means of subsistence. The largest and most powerful 
representatives of any species are not found in the fertile 
valleys but on the barren mountains, and where the range 
of a species extends through different latitudes the animals 
increase in size as they move away from the equator and 
approach the poles. The males of any species are larger 
than the females. Inbreeding makes the stock become 
more symmetrical but smaller, while crossing the various 
strains produces larger animals. 

With the exception of the beaver and Alaska red fox the 
darkest hued representatives of every species are those liv- 
ing nearest the equator. Cold seems to cause the fur of all 
animals to become lighter in color, and white animals as 
a race are found only in the arctic regions. The fur also 
becomes lighter with age, the new growth with a few not- 
able exceptions always being darker than the old coat. 
White, black, brown, and grey are the predominating 
colors; but red and yellow mammals are quite numerous, 
and a few species even show a blue tinge. 

The finest specimens of any species are found in the 
highest latitudes. On all animals the quality of the fur 
improves with cold, being poorest on those whose habitat 
is in the torrid zone unless they live at a sufficiently high 
latitude to secure for them a low temperature. In the 
temperate zone the quality of the fur depends upon the 

86 



severity of the winter. In all climates the fur of animals 
found in the dense forests is deeper, silkier, and glossier 
than that of animals whose range is on the open steppes 
or prairies; and animals living on the shores of lakes and 
rivers have a finer, softer coat than those that are exposed 
to the sea winds on the coast. 

VALUE 

The value of skins is regulated by the condition of the 
pelt as well as the quality of the fur. If they have been 
torn in the trap, or riddled with shot, or otherwise muti- 
lated they cannot be graded as number one skins, no mat- 
ter how fine the quality of the fur. The skins that have 
been well stretched and dried bring better prices than 
those of the same quality that have been carelessly 
handled. Collectors and dealers always prefer minks, 
muskrats, otters, fishers, opossums and skunks, cased or 
taken off the animal whole, but beavers and raccoons 
should be skinned open, that is, ripped up the belly from 
the vent to the chin, and the skin removed by flaying. 
Experts are able to judge the quality of cased skins 
by the pelt. Veiny skins are generally poor in quality, 
and half seasoned skins have a dark bluish stripe down 
the back or side. The pelt of stagy skins is almost a 
uniform blue in color. 

SKINNING AND CASING. 

Where skins are to be cased a cut should be made up the 
center of one hind leg and around the vent and down the 
other leg; then if the tail is worth preserving, the skin 
should be carefully stripped from the caudal bone without 
cutting the skin, except in the case of skunks and otters, 
whose tails should be split, spread and tacked on a board. 
The skin should then be drawn back over the body, pelt 
side out and fur in, the same as in skinning an eel or draw- 
ing oflf a glove. It will peel oflf easily if a few ligaments 
are cut. Care should be taken not to cut too closely 
around the nosCf ears and lips. 

97 



Cased skins should be stretched on boards, tapering 
from four and one-half inches in width down to three 
inches for mink, and from six to five inches for foxes. 
The boards for the mink skins should be three feet long 
and those for foxes four feet. Stretching boards 
should be rounded at the small end, smooth and even on 
the edges, and not more than three-eighths of an inch 
thick; and the boards for the mink should taper slightly 
down to within four or five inches of the point, and the 
fox boards to within eight inches of the rounded end. 
Stretching boards for other animals should be made in 
proportion, according to the size and shape of the animal. 

DRESSING. 

At one time the Red Indian was undoubtedly the best 
dresser of the skins of the Buffalo and other American 
animals, and the present art of tanning was largely bor- 
rowed from the savages. The skins are first placed in an 
alkali bath, and when the pelt has become soft they are 
taken out and tubbed; after this they are shaved by 
passing them over a knife placed in an upright position. 
Next they are buttered and put into a tub of sawdust, 
where they are tread by half-naked men until the leather 
has become soft and supple from the heat of the bodies of 
the workmen. The skins are then taken out and cleaned 
and finished. 

DYEING. 

The dyeing of fur skins is an ancient art, but the pres- 
ent generation has brought it to such a state of perfection 
that, in many cases, no one but an expert can tell when 
skins have been touched to deepen or change their color. 

IMPROVING. 

The art of imitating, changing and improving furs, is 
carried on with very great success. By means of certain 
operations and dyes, the leopard skin is imitated; mus- 
krats, susliks and marmots are striped like mink; wolves 

88 



are made to appear like foxes; martens, minks and sables 
are. darkened; racoons, opossums and white skunks are 
dyed black or natural skunk color; silver foxes are success- 
fully imitated by dyeing the red fox skins and pointing 
them with badger hairs; off color white foxes have the top 
hair dyed so they look like the natural blue foxes; and 
we even have bright yellow, sky-blue and pink Belgian 
hares. 

The seals, otters, beavers, conies, muskrats, and a num- 
ber of other animals have a soft, thick under fur, which is 
better adapted for the purposes of the furrier's art when 
the long stiflf hairs which form the top coat have been 
removed. These skins were formerly sheared, and later the 
long top hairs were plucked out by hand; nov/ the de- 
sired result is accomplished by shaving a layer off the 
under side of the pelt when these stiff hairs which come 
further through the leather than the under fur, are 
loosened so they can easily be plucked from the fur side 
with blunt knives. Many short hairs, however, elude this 
plucking process and these are removed by a machine 
which divides the soft fur by a current of air, and leaves 
the stifif hairs standing alone so they can be sheared off 
close to the skin without injury to the under fur. 

TAXIDERMY. 

The old method of stuffing animals is as different from 
scientific taxidermy as the skin covering of the aborigine 
is from the finished fur garment of the fashionable society 
woman. The taxidermist of today carefully molds a form 
according to accurate measurements and photographed out- 
lines, and after he has constructed a perfect model of the 
animal the skin is stretched over it, the result being a re- 
production as near to nature as it is possible to secure, 
the effect in some cases being so life-like as to be startling. 

Formerly the skins were wired or otherwise fixed on 
an internal framework, and cotton, tow or any other 
available material was introduced until the form was 

89 



stuflfed to the desired shape; later a solid mass of tow 
was shaped into something like the semblance of the 
animal and introduced into the skin, which was then 
molded upon this artificial body, but neither of these 
processes produced the results obtained by the scientific 
methods now employed. 

FARMING. 

Fur Farming is only in its infancy, but the success which 
has rewarded the efforts of those who have faithfully and 
intelligently labored to rear foxes, skunks, minks and other 
species of fur-bearing animals in captivity, demonstrates 
the possibilties of the industry when properly conducted 
under right conditions. Fur Farming has little to offer to 
those who engage in it as a "get rich quick" scheme, but 
for the man who is willing to accept a reasonable com- 
pensation for his time and the money invested in the enter- 
prise while working for the full development of his plans, 
it promises larger returns than any other business in which 
he could engage with the same amount of capital. 

The Fur Farmer will find that unless the animals have 
plenty of runway they will not fur properly. If they are 
kept in restricted quarters, or penned up in a small en- 
closure, the pelt or hide will be thick and the fur thin; 
the reason for the thick, silky, glossy fur on skins that 
come from some of the ranches is that the animals have 
plenty of room and an abundant varied diet; skunks for 
instance that are fed principally on meat, to the exclusion 
of vegetables and fruit, will not present as fine an appear- 
ance as those that are raised on a mixed diet. The 
thing to strive for is to duplicate as far as possible the 
natural conditions under which the animal is at its best. 
It is impossible to improve on nature. 



90 



